Time is Relevant in a Déjà vu World
by Mistra Rose
Summary: Important Author's note- READ! “Why is it that Shukaku can smell me on you? He smells my blood, my death, but not his own scent. He is demanding answers and so am I,” demanded Gaara to the stunned girl. -Chapter 11 Preview--- Time Travel!
1. Blackened Memories

Disclaimer- I do NOT own Naruto is any form except the plot and what people you do not recognize from the series. The ideas are my own and if you recognize characters names, I do not own them. Now, I will only say that once for the WHOLE story.

**_Chapter 1- Blackened Memories_**

In the pitch-black remains of a forest, in the far reached corners of the Hidden Leaf Village sat a hidden camp. From the air, no one could see anything but the remains of a charred forest, trying to re-grow. From the ground, no one would see anything in the area until it was too late and their blood painted the scenery. The only way into the hidden camp was if the person knew the hand signs to deactivate the genjutsu and where to step to avoid hidden traps. This was no ordinary camp that people could just waltz into; it was the base camp for the last remaining ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village.

The camp was small—nothing like the great villages from where the ninja had come. The Konoha 11 had dwindled to the Konoha 4 with two young bloods, and the last remaining sand kunoichi remaining as well. The group was small, but they were not to be taken lightly in or around the battlefield. Much time had passed since the Chuunin Exams, but they all had one thing in common: to bring down the ninja that had killed so many of their loved ones, and who had destroyed their lives and homes.

In their youth, the remaining leaf ninja knew nothing of the tears, blood and death that they would see in the upcoming five years. After those five years, the time for the nightmares would start and be put into motion. The years would pass and the time for innocence would be gone in a flash and the time for war would begin to flow like the blood on the vicious battlefields. After those five years, the ninja would lose friends, comrades, lovers, family and teachers, but they would never lose hope to one day avenge the fallen and reclaim their home once again. The time was approaching that they would let the blood of their enemies rain down on the earth that they had destroyed with war. Let the Battle begin!

**Authors Notes:**

Read and Review please!!

This is my first time writing fanfiction and posting it. I fell in love with the series and even more so with the characters and I hope you all like the story. I also want to thank Cherry BlossomUchiha for her great Betaing and being a patient person with me. And yes, the chapter does get longer after this.

I will be updating when I get time, until it's done and posting a recommend-read-of-the-week at the bottom of the chapters. Some will be completed others are in the process and will be Sakura/?, and also check the rating because some or most are M or T.

Recommend Read-of-the-week

Sakura/Itachi  
Kiss the Rain by Lady Kogawolf  
**Summary**- She learns the truth about a cold-blooded killer, and finds that sometimes, things are not always as they seem.


	2. Gone, but Not Forgotten!

**Note to Reader-Take the rating serious! There is a little lime/lemon and some foul language in the chapters to come!! You have been told.**

_**Chapter 2-Gone, but Not Forgotten!**_

"Ah! Neji, Temari, what did you guys find out?" Sakura questioned as she greeted her two comrades and looked at them expectantly.

"Nothing much that we didn't already know from the previous scouting of their base and the infiltration that Shino's bugs provided for us. Guards posted on all sides, four guards on each of the main doors that can only be opened with a series of complex hand signs." For demonstration, the brunette showcased a few of the signs.

"When a door is opened it must be called in, the ninja then must give a verifying number and then closed within 30 seconds. To be sealed it must be from the outside in the reverse order of the opening seals used. The guards change every 15 to 30 minutes and then take the place of one of the guards on the lookout tower." It was Temari who now detailed the schedule of the enemy tower. "The tower can only be entered if you correctly enter the number sequence the first time, because you're given no second chance. However...we did find something that we didn't know before," explained Temari as she placed her hands by the fire to warm them up. Not that it would really help, but old habits die-hard. Temari looked over at her partner and gave him the okay to pick-up where she left off.

"What we didn't know was that they are running out of food like we thought, but really couldn't confirm. Soon they're going to leave since the food in the area is getting scarce and they don't want to travel to far in fear of being killed. Temari and I believe that they only have about enough food to maybe last a couple more weeks before they leave." A confident nod from Temari was added in the sidelines. "One of the guards told another guard that soon they would be eating less to save more. We should attack soon and before they move because at least here, we have an advantage over them." Said Neji as he placed more wood on the fire to help warm the others and he himself up since the air was getting cold; autumn was approaching. Neji looked over at the group's current leader and appointed Hokage and awaited her decision on their new information.

The leader looked at her fellow ninja and wished that she wasn't in this position. But she wouldn't let their dead Hokage's last wish be unfulfilled. Grasping the necklace resting in her cleavage, she pulled it out for her to stare at, like many time before, and get lost in the memories surrounding its history. The memories were anything but sweet, but the necklace was too important to her teacher and best friend and teammate to just be thrown away. _'Why did Naruto have to die, why couldn't it have been me? He promised me that he wouldn't leave me alone, but yet he did. Why!?'_ yelled Sakura in her head as she felt the tears fall down her face. Neji and Temari watched on in sympathy as the strongest one in the room sped her sadness.

"Naruto, why," whispered Sakura to herself as the memory of that night was brought back and it still chilled her blood.

*~*Flashback*~*

Sakura ran down the silent street of Konoha, pumping what charka she had left into her feet, trying to reach the tower as soon as she could, before he did.

She would reach it before he did, even if it killed her—and it probably would, from the blood loss. Hearing a bomb go off in the distance told her that he was approaching, and fast. Running up the stairs of the tower, Sakura didn't even knock as she pushed the door open, causing it to make a resounding bang against the stone wall. The person she was seeking looked up from the desk that he was sitting at to look at the intruder.

The said person was about to make a comment to the pink haired girl until he saw the look on her face and smelled the blood on her. Her own blood was flowing slowly through her fingers. The person jumped over the desk and ran to his best friend and only other living survivor of Team 7.

Naruto pushed Sakura to the chair next to her so that he could get a look at the wound and start to help her. Allowing his hand to glow with the healing chakra, he placed it by the wound to start the procedure, only to get it pushed away. Looking up, Sakura shook her head no, but Naruto wouldn't have anything to do with it. Once his mind was made up, no one could change his mind, except his dead wife. "Let me do this for you, Sakura...or you'll die," said Naruto as he again repeated the steps and started to heal her.

"Better me then you, Naruto. He's coming and you're going to need all the chakra that you can get when facing him. He came with a small army that has already made us lose another quarter of Konoha to him. He killed Tenten, and Shino's bugs were keeping them busy along with Kiba and Akamaru to allow me enough time to get to you. We are awaiting your orders, Lord Hokage, and will do as you say," Sakura informed as she bowed her head to show respect to her leader. Neji, who had come in during the middle of her conversation also bowed his head to his leader and family.

Naruto looked up once he got the blood to stop flowing, but not enough to fully close the wound. He walked over to his desk and looked out at the burning fires that were spreading throughout more of the village that they had lost to Sound and him. Looking away from the fires to face the Hokage Mountain that now held the six faces of the Leaf Village leaders, and knew it was time for a very important decision. Turning around to face his friends: one, his family and the other, his successor to his title, Naruto reached behind him to give one of them his gift, but a heavy burden. Taking off the First's necklace, the necklace given to him by the past fifth Hokage, that now was passed on to him, and now he was passing it to the soon to be new leader of Leaf.

Walking towards his friends he started to speak, "with Neji and the spirits of our deceased leaders, friends, and family as my witness, I now name Sakura Haruno as my successor," and placed the necklace around her neck.

To say Sakura was shocked would be an understatement. The new Hokage just looked back at Naruto, expecting him to say that he was joking, but she could see that he wasn't. Naruto's face was set in the face that he normally wore when he faced battles or made a promise that he always kept.

"Naruto, I can't! Besides.... the title is yours, and no one else's," Sakura refused as she started to take the necklace off of her neck, and give it back to its owner. With the jewelry half way off from around her neck, her action was stopped by Naruto's hand. He took her fingers and made them drop the necklace back towards its resting place; in between her breasts, like it did for her mentor.

"No Sakura, I'm passing it on to you, in case there is ever a time that I will die and what's left of us will need a leader to turn to. Please Sakura, I have never asked anything big from you since I asked you to help me ask Hinata out on a date. Please just this once, can you please not throw a fit and just accept the title," Naruto pleaded as he looked at Sakura's face and waited for a reply. When he saw her shoulders slouch and her fingers grasp the necklace, he knew that he had finally won an argument with her. Too bad his victory couldn't be savored longer.

"Get down, both of you!" yelled Neji as he ran and grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her away from the wall. Sakura gripped Naruto's arm in the progress to bring him with her. An explosion shook the Hokage tower and the outer most walls facing the mountain were blown in.

Neji being closer to Sakura covered her with his body, and Naruto used his body to cover them both as the debris flew into the office. The three turned around from the other side of the desk to see the crumpled remains of a ninja's body mixed with the rubble. Neji, still holding Sakura behind him, looked around Naruto's tense shoulders to see who else was in the opening, but he already knew one of them because of their chakra signature. Looking as the other ninjas beside their leader had Neji cringing a little on the inside, because each one hadn't even tapped into their second stage of power and they were out numbered 10 to 3.

Sakura looked around Neji's shoulders and tried to identify the remains of the ninja to determine whether it was a friend or foe. Not really getting an idea from the quick assessment, she turned her head to face the front only to bite her tongue to stop the bile from rising. In the Sound leader's hand, grasped in his fingers, was the decapitated head of Kiba Inuzuka. Kiba's eyes were opened in shock and a quarter of his lower left jaw was burned to the point where you could see the bone. The Inuzuka's face was bloody and bruised beyond belief; Sakura had to grasp Neji's elbow and turn away to stop the tears from leaking from her eyes. She wouldn't remember Kiba this way; she would always see him as a man who enjoyed his life, before the war and his death.

But wait, where was his companion, Akamaru? Turning her head back to face the enemy she looked among them to see if one of them was holding the bloody carcass of Akamaru. Not finding anything made Sakura feel a little better, until she saw the smirk on the leader's face.

The Sound leader tossed the head of Kiba at Naruto's feet and laughed when the said head exploded on impact with the ground. The explosion destroyed what was left of the head and launched blood, matter, bone, and kunai at the ninja. The human matter covered the Leaf leader and his two friends, but they were able block the close range kunai headed towards them. This was to be expected since they were three of the ninjas to be feared in the Leaf village, yet it did not mean they were no allowed to cringe at the horrible act. The Sound leader's eyes glowed with the taste of despair in the air and the stench of blood covering the once proud Leaf village leader. He had finally breached the defenses of the final obstacles in his conquest for total dominance. Now he could finally claim what was rightfully his, and what should have been many years ago.

Naruto was watching the people in front of him, and knew that they would be attacking soon; the leader always loved toying with his prey's minds first, and then go in for the kill. He was about to defend when he felt a familiar chakra signature of one of his ninja coming up the steps behind them. The leader ordered his troops to attack when the familiar attacked those who had killed his master.

Akamaru ran through the debris of his once beautiful home to the Hokage tower, where the smell of his master's blood was the strongest. All he wanted to do was commit suicide to join his master, but he knew that he wouldn't be pleased if he left without putting up a fight. Strengthening his resolves to follow his master's last wish, he pushed himself faster, jumping the steps four at a time, disguising his scent and masking his chakra.

Finally reaching the top, where he was behind three ally ninja's backs he lowered his body to the ground and attacked his enemies. Extending his claws, he ran them down two of the ninja's faces, ripping at their flesh and causing blood to spatter. The enemies crumpled to the ground with screams piercing the air. It was time to battle, but with his master dead Akamaru took to the next person that was closest to him; that being Sakura.

While Sakura did not hold a bond to Akamaru like Kiba did, she did hold a special bond with him that only they could understand. Amongst the chaos and bloodshed they watched each other's back, while one attacked the other would defend; they made the perfect team. While watching Akamaru's white pelt, Sakura looked for her other teammates and found both of them in heavy battle with the enemy.

Shifting her eyes from them, she focused in on the enemies surrounding them and changed positions with Akamaru. Surrounding her hands in green chakra she used the scalpel technique to cut the artery of her enemies so hopefully they would not rise again. Just as she and Akamaru were about to finish the last of their enemies, she heard a familiar scream pierced the silent but metallic filled air. Punching her enemy in the face and shattering the bones, she turned just in time to see Naruto getting pierced in the chest with the technique that she had just been using moments before.

Sakura, not even sensing the last enemy behind her, would have been pierced in the heart, had it not been for Akamaru's quick thinking as his mouth snared the enemy's throat. With all of the other enemies dead except for the leader of the Hidden Sound, Sakura ran blindly to avenge her fallen comrade and leader. She summoned chakra to her fist and hit the ground where the enemy once stood. The leader now stood only a couple feet from her with a mocking smirk upon his scarred face.

Feeling Akamaru near her back, she focused in on the medical help that her leader desperately needed. Upon looking at the severities of the wounds with her charka, she knew there was little that she could possibly do for him. Even with surpassing her teacher, the damage was too great, and it did not help especially with this particular enemy's knowledge of the body.

The Hidden Sound Village leader looked on in glee as he watched the medical kunoichi try to save her pathetic leader, with her attempts being in vain. He had finally accomplished another one of his goals. Now all he had to do was squash the rest of the Will of Fire's leaf ninjas and take over this dying village, so that it would prosper under his hands.

The village and its ninjas would be nothing without its leader to guide them. "The Land of Fire will fall to my hand, like it should have done two years ago," pledged the Sound Leader. Turning his back on his opponents, the leader disappeared to join his army in crushing the rest of the village. If the leader had only stuck around, he would have known that the Hokage had already chosen his successor.

Neji, with his byakugan still activated, scouted the surrounding area for any hostile chakra—finding none he nodded his head to the medic. Sakura, seeing Neji's nod, continued to try and ease her leader's pain. "Naruto, you can't leave me, you promised me we'd always be together!" sobbed Sakura as tears rolled down her face, mixing with his tears running down his blood stained face. Sakura looked at the extensive damage that had been done to his chest. She knew just by looking that his lungs had to be filling up with blood and his heart was slowing. The nine tailed fox did not have enough chakra to revive its host and heal the wounds the body had sustained; this time the fox child and demon would die.

"To trust the necklace…" Naruto was gasping for air, "in the hands of future Hokage…" coughing up blood, "is what Tsunade would have…"coughing up more blood where breathing was becoming hard "wanted and so do I," gasped Naruto as even more blood flowed from his mouth. Naruto was not stupid.... he knew he had very little time left in this life, but his only regret would have be that he did not take the bastard with him.

Summoning the rest of his strength, he wanted to deliver his last speech to her without pause. He wanted and hoped her last memories of him would be of him being strong and not broken like he was now. Naruto silently pleaded to the fox to allow him a few moments without pain, so that he could say his last words. Expecting no response, he was surprised when his last wish was granted.

"Sakura, I know you will make a great Hokage, and will do this village proud. I'm sorry that I am leaving you such a mess, but I know you will prevail in the end, because that is your nature." Looking deeply in her eyes, Naruto gave a small grin. "Take the gifts that have been given to you by your friends and avenge their death since I could not. Do not forget that as long as one ninja is still alive, the Will of Fire will still burn in the Village Hidden in the Leaves," Naruto whispered as his body was beginning to be overcome by the pain and was finally shutting down. His time was drawing near. Raising his bloody hand to Sakura's face; he rested it upon her cheek to try and dry her tears, but all he did was smear blood on her cheek. With Sakura there, he could feel the soul of his wife and his brother surrounding him as he welcomed the darkness that was starting to cloud his closing eyes. Looking into Sakura's eyes he let himself be taken by their love for him, and had to smile his cocky smile. With his sister by his side, he breathed in his last breath and surrendered to his injuries.

Sakura, feeling his heart slowing to a stop, could only hold him closer to her body, and cry from the pain filling up her heart. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she didn't need to look up to know who was comforting her and who had laid his head by Naruto's head. Each person or dog in that room was silently weeping from the lost of their leader, but most of all, their best friend. When his heart finally stopped, Sakura felt a sudden jolt of chakra run through her hands up to the clear diamond on her forehead, filling some of its endless reservoir. Sakura was astonished, she knew this chakra; it was the nine tails. Even in death, he could somehow put a small smile on her face, and felt blessed for his gift.

Closing her eyes after saying a prayer, she was helped to her feet by Neji, who knew what she would have to do. With the two behind her, she looked down one last time at his face and formed the hand signs of her other brother's signature jutsu. With the jutsu performed, the three left to gather the rest of the surviving ninja, and then retreat and regroup. With the Hokage tower behind her she looked back one last time to see the black flames overtaking the whole building. Knowing that they had lost a battle, she did know that the bastard wouldn't be using the corpse of their leader in his next battle, like he did with Ino and Gaara's. It was a small victory in their favor.

_They would win the war._

*~*End of Flashback*~*

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she knew it was time that they reclaimed what was once lost to them and avenge their deaths. Clearing her vision and drying her tears, she gathered her thoughts to answer his question. The time was finally right for them to strike, and they would with the same force. It was time for all hell to break loose. Standing up from her sitting position, she looked at the ninjas left under her command and her current family, and told them what they longed to hear.

"Ok team, this time... we end the war. We're going hunting," Sakura ordered firmly like her mentor would as she turned around to start preparing for their last attack, and finally bring justice to the fallen.

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Authors Note:**

Read and Review please!!!

I don't know what I would have done without Cherry BlossomUchiha reading through this for me, as well as SasukeHaruno101. Two really great girls worth knowing!

Recommend Read-of-the-week  
Sakura/Kiba  
Forced Hand by The Rabid Bunny  
**Summary**- Kiba has clan obligations that involve getting married. Sakura is doing everything she can to forget how lonely she is. Enter one very nosy Hokage, and watch what happens.

*~*

_**BETA Note**_

Miss Chocolat here! Mistrarose handed me the chapters to revise as now I am her new BETA. I hope it's to your liking. I'm honored to be able to help her with this.


	3. To Pay the Price

**__**

**Note to Reader- Lime or lemon depending on how you look at it! This chapter has some graphic detail in terms of the description of peoples death. There is also mention of rape in this chapter, so you have been told!**

**_Chapter 3-To Pay the Price_**

'_To win a battle much has to be sacrificed, but to win a war, what is the price willing to be paid?'_ was the only phrase Sakura was thinking as she looked out from the top of the Hokage mountain towards the village that she once called home. Turning around to look at the charred remains of Kabuto/Orochimaru, with the flames still dancing, it brought a smirk to her face. It was fitting that those same flames were from the same family that he sought the body of. Turning away from the remains, she looked out towards the village that once was prized for its beauty and skill. But the only thing that met her sight was destruction and a village totally deserted of life. The once treasured memories of the village were replaced with what stood in front of her, but she guessed they had been lost long ago.

"How do you restore a village, when we shouldn't be standing? We shouldn't be the only ones standing here. Everyone, the war is won, but we have lost far too much to really call it a victory. At least one thing is still positive—everyone's souls have finally found rest in the after life," commented Sakura as she placed her hand that had been placed over her heart on Akamaru's head, petting his bloodstained fur.

Akamaru comforted Sakura with the only way that he knew how: he comforted her with his presence and stayed by her side. Since Kiba's death, the two were always together, and she had become his new owner and he, in turn, her bodyguard and companion. They were a team that couldn't be beat and they proved it every time they faced an enemy.

Akamaru looked out at his home and all he saw was the bloodshed, misery, and destruction that had been caused to it. At least he was able to help in the killing of the man that had killed his previous owner, and he knew Kiba would be smiling at what he had done to Kabuto's body while be was still alive. Those memories caused the ninja dog to smile, recalling the screams that could be heard for miles, but no one to help him. Looking back up towards his mistress's face, he saw that she was looking down at him with a small smirk on her face.

"Could you happen to be thinking of what you did to Kabuto/Orochimaru during the battle, my friend? I can't help but think that you were. Well, at least you were able to get your revenge for Kiba's death," said Sakura, as she turned around to start walking back towards the stairs and find the remains of her family. Turning around to face her companion, she motioned for him to follow her. "What do you say we get this done and over with, so that we can grieve for the last of our friends, boy?"

Akamaru barked while nodding his head to the answer as he lowered his head to follow Sakura down the stairs. He knew they could have jumped down to get to them faster, but he knew that the girl would need time to prepare herself for seeing more of her friends' dead bodies. He wasn't in too much of a hurry to see them either so he couldn't complain.

Once they were at the bottom of the steps, the two went off into different directions to bury the dead. The first for Akamaru to come across was his previous owner's teammate, Shino Aburame. Around Shino's body were the bugs that he housed in his body and commanded. The bugs had been changed; they no longer were his friends, but his executioners. What had once been the pride of that clan had in the end killed him. Somehow the bugs were turned against him, and killed him from the inside out. All that was left of Shino was his bloodstained clothes and his shades. The bugs had even eaten even the bone of the host, so there was nothing to lay to rest. Akamaru left before the bugs turned on him too.

Sakura was the next to come face to face with one of her family members. The pair was never far from each other and even in death they somehow stayed together. Konohamaru and Moegi had both been thrown into a war before they were out of the academy, but they fought battles like seasoned ninjas. They were always working as a team to get their battles done and you could always count on them returning to you, but it seemed they must have bit off more then they could chew. Looking at the two from afar she could see that the pair had numerous cuts and bruises. Walking over to the two young lovers she placed her hands over their opened eyes and closed them so they could be at peace. Bringing her hands from their faces she lowered them to the steel spear that was sticking through their hearts. The spear was launched with such force that it torn the hearts from the chests of the teens to have it embedded in the memorial stone. With great care, she removed the bodies from the spear and laid them next to each other, and turned to face the stone. Grasping the bloody handle, she pulled the spear, but it wouldn't budge. Charging a little chakra into her arms, she pulled on the spear one more time to finally have it come free, and placed it in-between the two.

Turning around Sakura looked to see that the spear had been stuck in the name of the Third Hokage; how ironic that it was this name that was pierced. Turning around to face the two young lovers, she performed the hands signs. She called out, "Earth Style: Split." Instead of the earth creating a big split like her ex-teacher, she had it perform a small enough split for the two. Pushing more chakra into the ground she had the dirt gently surround the pair as it encased them. Once she was done she offered them a fast blessing.

She turned around to see the two people that had managed to kill the young pair, or at least what was left of them. TenTen and Kankurou had been a killer team when they were alive but it looked like even in death, they still were. For the two to face such a strong pair in battle proved that they were just as strong as them. All that remained of the two enemy ninja were scattered body parts all around the place. Releasing chakra to the tips of her fingers, like Kankurou taught her using a puppet, allowed her to pull the body parts together to bury. Once done she repeated what she had done for Konohamaru and Moegi. When she was done she took off towards the outer parts of the village wall.

The scene that greeted Akamaru next brought tears to his eyes and he had to turn his head away to compose himself. Turning back around to face the bodies he saw the body of his mistress's family, Chouji Akimichi. He had been strangled to death by his best friend using the Nara family's Shadow Strangle jutsu. Turning his head to look at the body of Shikamaru Nara he came to a conclusion. He had been constricted to death by Chouji's Partial Expansion jutsu and he could tell the almost all the bones in his body had been broken. Not a way that he would want to die--having to face your best friend in battle to the death.

Walking over to the body of Chouji, he grabbed the back of his neck and dragged his body over along side the village wall. Once he dragged him far enough he let go and turned around facing the wall to start digging the graves. As soon as it was deep enough, he jumped out to dig the second hole. Once his task was completed, he jumped out, landing next to Chouji's body. He would bury them next to the other, because they would want it that way; even if they had killed each other.

Starting with the closest body, he gently grabbed his uniform collar at the back of his neck, and lowered him into the soft ground. Taking one last look at his fellow ninja, Akamaru knew that he had fought a hard battle against the Leaf's strongest strategic and won; for he had a smile on his bloody face. Turning back around, he walked back over to the last ninja to be lost to them in the heat of battle.

Repeating the same procedures with Shikamaru's body, he also took one last good look at the lazy ninja. Almost every bone in the torso part of the body had been smashed, but he still managed to have a small smile on his face, accepting death. When he was done looking over the bodies, he started to cover them with the piles of dirt next to them. Once done, he lowered his head to offer a small prayer and hoped they would find the other in the heavens. He turned, and took off again to find the rest of his comrades and small family.

Sakura raced towards back from the outer walls to the center of the village to try and find the other bodies of her family. She had been looking for an hour since the last burial. Rounding one of the many corners she started to approach the Hokage Tower, when she skidded to a stop and approach the still form at a snails pace. Once she got where she could see the figure better, Sakura covered her mouth and shut her eyes to try to stop the tears from falling.

'Oh God!' Feeling her stomach tighten, she turned around, removed her hand, tasting the remains of her breakfast that wasn't digested yet. When no more would come out and all she was doing was dry heaving, she tried to calm her uneasy stomach. This was by far the worst she had come across that had been done to a friend. Wiping her mouth and calming her breath she turned around to confront the scene that awaited her. Those monsters had really done their worst and made sure that she had suffered before her death. Sakura just hoped that those bastards were dead wherever they were.

Once Sakura got closer to the body, she could see all the evidence that lead up to Temari's death. Temari must have put up one hell of a fight to receive this torture. Both of her hands had been stabbed through the palms with a kunai, making her hands stay stuck to the ground. Her arms were raised above her breasts to make them look like a "T". Her clothes had been ripped off of her body so the men could get easier access to her body. Her feet had also been forced apart and were broken so they would stay that way and not hinder them.

Kneeling down in front of her opened legs, Sakura knew with just one look what she had gone through. Reaching her hand to the cervix of the body she grasped a hold of the senbon needles and kunai that had been used to assault her. She also could see the residue of the men's pleasure coating her upper thighs. Once all the objects had been removed from her body, Sakura gently closed her bloody legs. Bringing her eyes higher she could see that her breasts had been bitten and her hands at the wrist had been cut off. There wasn't a bare spot of skin that wasn't covered in semen, blood, or bite marks. Maybe they did this to somehow help ease her hurting soul and give them more sick pleasure seeing her in pain. Above the breasts she came face to face with Temari's weapon lodged just above her top of her shoulders. She had been decapitated with her weapon of choice and Sakura could guess that her head just lay on the other side of the fan. Standing up to confirm her guess, she walked on the other side of the fan to come face to face with Temari's pain-stricken face. Temari's face wasn't covered in blood or cuts, but her eyes had been covered with some cloth and her hair had come out of its trademark style.

Sakura reached her hand out and removed the fan from between her neck and shoulders; she laid it on the ground so that she could bury it with her body. Kneeling next to the body Sakura placed one hand on Temari's face and the other on her throat. Calling forth the chakra, she started to bring the muscles in the neck back together so she could carry her easier. Once she was done she placed her hands under the cooling body to carry her to one of the outer walls to bury her. When she finally reached her destination, she gently laid her on the ground and preformed the same jutsu she had done for Konohamaru and Moegi. Offering a prayer for her soul to finally be at peace and with her family, Sakura turned back around and started her search again.

She just hopped that she could find Neji and he would still be alive. She didn't know if she could lose another precious person that owned her heart. She wondered how many of their family Akamaru had found in his search throughout the village. After much inner discussion with herself, Sakura decided to use her eyes to find Akamaru and see where he was headed. Bring chakra to her eyes, she focused on finding her familiar and Neji, finally finding him on the other side, almost next to the wall, he was headed towards the village gate. Bringing her eyes back to normal, she focused on the path ahead of her, and headed to the last place she had seen Neji alive. Praying to the heaven, she hoped that she wouldn't have to bury another comrade, for he was also her lover. As Sakura ran towards the gates she remembered when it first had happened.

*~*Flashback*~*

It was just after Naruto's death and the rest of the ninja had been forced out of the village. The last ninjas took shelter in a cave that they came across which they knew was safe and were they could regroup and plan their next move. About a couple of miles from the village walls it had started to rain and as they approached the Fire country border it picked up intensity. Once everyone was situated, Sakura did a tally of the ninja present. Team 10, Team Ebisu, Rock Lee, Neji, Akamaru, Shino, Genma, Anko, Izumo, a couple chuunin, a few jounin, very few anbu (and then there was her)--these were the only survivors. Once she was done, she faced the ninja present and she could instantly tell that they noticed their Hokage missing.

"Sakura, where is the Hokage? Is he going to be joining us later?" said Anko as she took off her jacket to dry off a little. With the question finally voiced that was on everyone's mind, they all turned to face her, awaiting an answer.

Sakura had to turn her face away from the crowd before she broke down and started to cry. Once she felt able to confront the people waiting for the answer, she turned to face them. Taking some deep breaths, she started to compile her thoughts when she felt two different hands on her shoulders offering her silent support. She didn't need to turn around to know who; Neji, who had been there and Shino, whose bugs must have picked up the scent of Naruto's blood and death. "I'm just going to be blunt about this because I see no other way of saying it without withholding the truth." Breathing in once, she prepared herself to also come to terms with her next statement: "Naruto died in his battle against the Sound leader, Kabuto/Orochimaru, and he has passed his title of Hokage onto me with Neji as the witness." Sakura spoke softly in a room that was so silent you could hear a senbon drop, but once the words were registered the room broke out into commotion.

The first in the group to face Sakura again after digesting the facts were the jounin, anbu and Shikamaru. They kneeled on the ground, bowed their heads and spoke their vows to protect her since she was their new leader; they trusted Naruto's judgment. They knew she wouldn't lie about such a sensitive matter, and she also had Neji and Shino backing her up. Neji wouldn't ever lie about this matter and Shino's bugs would pick-up the scent of death on her clothing. It wasn't long after the oaths were taken that the rest of the ninja followed suit and swore their oaths to her as well as her two silent supporters.

All the ninja present knew that it was bound to happen, but they just wished it was later... after the war was won, and not during it. It was not until everyone stood up and she answered their questions about how he died, did they leave her alone to mourn the loss of loved ones, the village, and Hokage. Turning around, Sakura left the gathering to seek solitude further in the back of the cave.

Once Sakura felt she was far enough away from everyone and they wouldn't hear her did she finally start to breakdown. Taking off her bloodstained gloves, and throwing them into the floor, Sakura collapsed from the pain. Tears cascaded down her face and her body shook with uncontrolled sobs; the pain in her body was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. She had finally lost the last member of team 7, and she didn't want to be the one left standing in the end. It was suppose to be all of them, not the weak female of the group. Everyone always said the she was the glue that held the team together, but it wasn't her, it was Naruto.

He was the one to make everyone in that team a family, a place were no matter where they were, they would always call each other family. Kakashi was the grandfather always making sure the newer generation knew what to expect in life and war, and made sure all learned from their mistakes. Naruto and Sasuke were the ever-squabbling brothers that always tried to out do the other in every way possible. If it wasn't eating the most food it was in their favorite pastime, seeing who could kick the other's ass first. If that didn't happen, it was to see who would stay awake the longest before passing out from exhaustion.

And then there was her, the annoying female of the group. She was like the mother hen of the family, always who they came to take care of them if they were sick, hurt, or had problems. They knew she could never turn them down, but she never let the bickering get too bad before she put them in their places... courtesy of her fists. The tears no longer seemed to be helping her so she did the next best thing that came to mind.

With her gloves no longer protecting her hands she turned the frustration to in front of her. No even bothering to put chakra into the punch, she did it the old fashioned way. Sakura knew there were other ways to deal with the pain, but she refused to acknowledge them as she continued to punch the ground in front of her. The pain in her hands continued to get worse as she started punching the ground harder and harder. Her once pale, healthy hands were becoming raw, sore, and bloody, but most of all, the pain was slowly leaving her shattered heart. She continuously hit the ground and would have until she passed out, had a hand not grabbed her from the shadows pulling her onto her back. With not feeling the presence behind her, Sakura had no choice but to fall onto her back to face the intruder. No, he wasn't who she would have thought, but then again he was there too.

Neji stared down at the still form of Sakura as she looked up at her with silent tears still running down her cheeks. Sakura must have gotten tired of the staring contest and went to get up, until her hands touched the ground to push her body up. Instead of using her hands to sit herself up she just used the muscles in the rest of her body. Not liking the angle he had again, he decided to walk in front of her and help her face her problems. It was time that she started to face the problem instead of beating herself up about it.

Sakura didn't like the look that Neji was giving her so when she went to sit up; she was reminded of her stupidity. Once she was sitting up, she took a good look at her hands and shook her head. Her hands were a mangled mess of flesh, nerves, and muscles, and you could just start to see the bone. Ok, so she'd admit to herself that she must have used a little chakra in those hits to see the bone; but she wondered how long she had been hitting the cave floor. Well, she had done some stupid things in her life, but this at the moment was currently in the top 10. Feeling Neji's eyes move from her back to facing her she decided to try and put off the inevitable. Pulling a little chakra into her hands she started to heal them back to what they were before she went stupid.

Neji knew that she was delaying as long as she could until she would talk, but he had all the time to wait. Patience was something he had. When enough time had past Sakura must have decided to face the music because she finally looked up at him.

"What do you want Neji? Can't you leave me alone long enough to grieve for my family?" spat Sakura as she glared up at him. When that didn't seem to get him to leave, she tried something else. "Neji, please leave. I just want to be left alone for a while," Sakura pleaded softly as she felt another fresh wave of tears rolling down her face. She couldn't get the image Naruto's dead body out of her mind. Clenching her hands allowed her fingernails to bite into her skin, making small ribbons of blood to flow.

Seeing Sakura in this state made Neji's heart clench in his chest. Seeing blood flowing from her hands prompted him to finally act. Placing his hands on top of hers caused her to jerk hers up to her chest. Kneeling in front of her and sighing he decided it was time to answer her questions.

"I know you want to be left alone, but that's not what's good for you. Besides, you weren't the only one to lose family tonight." The wistful glaze in Neji's eyes killed Sakura's resolve of loneliness. "Naruto was my family too and was my brother-in-law, but most of all he was the only one left that tied me to my family. I'm now the last of the once well-regarded clan. Yes, I know that you lost your best friends and teammate, but he was also those to me. But realize: you are not the only one here that is grieving for the loss of the Hokage."

Sakura knew that he was right, but it didn't make the pain go away. She knew the others would mourn the lost of the Hokage, but they didn't know him like she did before he achieved his dream. She knew that Neji was hurt just as much as her, because Naruto was the only tie he had to his cousin Hinata. Sakura launched herself at the Hyuuga with strength she didn't know her body had and knocked Neji onto his back with her on top of him.

Neji had the air knocked out of him with Sakura landing on top of him. He knew that this was wrong, the position they were in, because she was now the leader and he was the follower. But, at the moment, they both were just two human beings mourning the loss of their family members. With a fresh wave of tears running down her face she clutched his torn, bloody robes and cried. Neji arms surrounded her shaking form and comforted her, because in a way she was crying for both of them.

What had started out as an act to offer comfort to the other led to something far more intimate. It was Sakura that started the wheels into motion that started the kiss. Sakura had finally stopped crying and was looking up at Neji's face to see, pain, hurt, but most of all understanding. She didn't even try to stop herself, it just felt right. She was kissing Neji, and he wasn't stopping her, if anything he was becoming a willing participant.

Lip, mouth, and tongue would know the other before the time was over. The arms that surrounded her were no longer just staying in one place; they explored what was being offered. Her hands were unbuttoning his robes and untying where it was needed to get to his body.

Once skin was touched it seemed the fever to touch the other grew. Clothes were thrown off, hands helped the other to undress and the kissing really never stopped. The kissing made their whole body quiver with desirable pleasure. As their hidden feelings came to surface, the more intimate their bodies' seeked release. There was no amount of skin that wasn't tasted or burned into memory; as each sought to the others release. When each one came down from their high, they continued to seek their passion. By the end of the night the pair knew the other's body as well as they knew their own. The passion was still there throughout the night and continued into the morning.

Sakura was the first to wake up that morning feeling sore but overall she did feel better. Looking down at Neji, she knew what had happened was a mistake, but she didn't regret it. She just knew that it couldn't ever happen again. Being careful not to wake him, she gathered her clothes and left. When she was finally away from Neji she felt a familiar chakra source in front of her. Going around the corner she came across Akamaru. He must have slept here all night keeping people away from the back of the cave. That brought the memories she was trying to push to the back of her memories forward. With a blush staining her cheeks, she kneeled down to pet the dog. "Hey, boy! I hope you slept well, because we're going to have a long day ahead of us," Sakura geeted softly as she scratched behind his ears, getting a lick in return. Getting up she started towards the cave entrance again, but with Akamaru behind her.

If only she knew that she could never sneak away from a Hyuuga, even after a night spent in pleasure. After he knew she was far enough gone not to arouse suspicion that he had been awake when she left, he finally moved. Even though he knew it was wrong, he didn't regret it either. He dressed and headed back towards the cave entrance to talk with Shikamaru about their next plan of attack.

For the weeks that followed, nothing happened, but when Sakura lost Ino she sought him out again. He had no trouble giving her what she wanted, and she did the same for him when he lost Rock Lee. It was before long that they just got together to feel something other than pain and suffering when they lost someone. They somehow fell in love amidst the chaos of war and were each other's strength to keep living. If the remaining ninja knew, they said nothing.

*~*End of Flashback*~*

So lost in memory, she had reached the gate a little after Akamaru. She realized she didn't feel Neji's chakra around. Feeling the panic starting to take root, she brought chakra to her eyes to try and find him sooner. Seeing Akamaru near a pile of stone digging made her bring the main focus of her sight there. What she saw behind the pile was what made her run towards it. Getting around the corner did Sakura's heart jump out of her chest. Neji was so bloody; the ground was covered in it either from him or his enemies. But, she knew the blood pooling around his tired and battered body was his; he

wouldn't survive with losing that much blood. Falling onto the ground in front of her lover she crawled towards him to see that his chest was still moving. "Neji, love, please answer me!" pleaded Sakura as she moved his body to lie on her lap. When she didn't receive an answer she thought she must had been seeing things. Closing her eyes, she started to cry when she felt a hand cup her check.

He could hear his lover, but he was so tired, he wanted to sleep, but he fought it off to see her again. He should have been dead long ago with all the blood that he had lost, but he wanted to see her face one last time. He knew she would survive; she was too darn stubborn to die after they had come so far. Finally gathering what strength he could, he opened his eyes to see that she had started to cry. He raised his hand to cup the side of her face in his hand. She was so beautiful even when she was dirty. "Sakura, I'm glad you're alive… but then I knew you would live… I'm sorry that I didn't keep my promise to you that I made... before we went off to battle. I tried," Neji spoke softly as he rubbed his thumb against her check.

"Oh Neji, I know you would try to keep that promise, but you weren't the only one to make a promise. I wanted to tell you something before the battle, but I knew that if you knew you would tell me to stay at camp. I didn't realize it had happened until about a week ago when we were making the final plans for the invasion." Sakura looked to the side with apology clouding her eyes. "I was to focus on everything else but myself. Neji, what I'm trying to say is that I'm pregnant with your child and have been for the past month and a half." Sakura softly removed his hand to rest it on her still flat stomach. Sakura was shocked when she learned about the baby, but it wasn't completely unwelcome; it was hope for the future.

Neji couldn't believe it. He was going to be a father, was being the key word. But, she was right. If he had known that she was pregnant then he would have found some way for her to stay behind. He could feel the life of the child under his hand, if only he could help raise it. He would have loved to be a father. His eyes were beginning to feel like weights, so he knew that his time was near. Taking the hand from her stomach he brought it around her neck to bring her face near his. When her face was close enough he raised his head up from her legs and kissed her. When he kissed her he put all of his emotions into the kiss and asked for entrance to her mouth on last time. Her mouth was an addiction that he absolutely loved--she always tasted like strawberries. Her lips were always silky soft, despite the elements they lived in.

The kiss ended far too soon for his liking, but he couldn't breathe and his body was starting to shut down. Looking into her eyes one last time, he said the words she loved to hear: "Sakura, you will always be in my heart no matter what. If I meet you again, I will still love you, for you hold my heart. You are the Lady of my Heart. Take care of our child and raise him or her to know of the history of the clan."

Sakura poured all of her feeling into the kiss because she knew this would be the last time. Neji had received too much internal damage and was bleeding excessively from the many wounds upon his body. A body that had always been her lifeline, but now was knocked out from under her. When the kiss ended she heard what Neji said and knew she would honor his wishes. "I will Neji, and he or she will know the history of your clan and who their father was. I love you Neji," said Sakura softly as she kissed the man one last time. When Neji stopped kissing back she knew that he had passed away. Holding his body closer to her she cried for the loss of her lover, but most of all the loss of her child's father.

Turning around she came face to face with Akamaru who already had a hole dug for the man near the wall. Smiling through her tears, she stood up with Neji's body in her arms and walked over to the hole and gently laid him down. Looking one last time at the man she loved, she kissed her fingertips and pressed them to his lips. Sakura stood up and started to help Akamaru cover his body. When they were done she said a prayer for him, and started to walk back towards the Hokage Mountain. When she was only a couple feet from the grave she was lifted off the ground by a head between her legs.

Once she was on his back Akamaru took off toward the mountain. His mistress was almost out of chakra, and was already in a lot of pain, but she was about to know more pain. Walking towards the mountain slowly, as to not wake the now sleeping woman on his back, she deserved sleep after her battle. Once he had reached the stairs that lead to the top of the mountain his mistress woke up, clutching her stomach in pain. Before she had told her lover about the baby he had known, but the stress and the battle within the last 48 hours must have been too much for the young fetus. On his way here he could smell the blood, which would soon begin to flow showing her the signs of her miscarriage. No matter how hard she tried to be careful, she had started to lose the baby during the battle with Kabuto.

Sakura fell off of Akamaru's back still clutching her stomach from the hurting; she pushed charka into her stomach and felt for the baby. The baby's chakra was just barely there, and it was dying, and there was nothing she could do. Letting out a pain filled scream to the heaven, she knew she had lost the child, if only she had known earlier, but maybe that wouldn't have mattered. She did everything during her battle to protect her child, but she still would have lost it and knew why. She, the medic that had surpassed her master, had lost her child because she stressed her self out the last couple of days. She deserved this pain for being a stupid mother.

She stood up off the ground with Akamaru's help. Looking at her friend she could tell that he knew about the baby and felt bad for her loss. His ears were flat and his head was lowered to the ground; he was just too good of a friend. Petting him on his head she said, "Let's go boy and I don't blame you, it was my fault," and headed up towards the top of the mountain, with him right behind her. She felt humongous guilt and walked with a slight limp from her stomach, but she had to go on.

Once they got to the top of the mountain did Sakura finally sit down on the ground and pull Akamaru towards her to hug and cry on. Akamaru didn't mind as long as she would get to feeling better. After about fifteen minutes of crying did she start to let up and look towards the sky. "This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! They weren't supposed to die!" yelled Sakura, and she got her answer. The ground under her and Akamaru started to shake and crack open. Before either of them could move they were falling through the middle of the mountain into a bright light.

When she no longer felt like she was falling she opened her eyes only to close them again. Opening her eyes once again they adjusted to the light surrounding her, and she took a good look around her. The only thing she saw was Akamaru next to her and multi-colors around her; they were the only ones there. Turning back around in the directions she had started in, she saw someone standing in front of her. She knew this man from Lady Hokage's family records and the history books; he was the First Hokage. Then out of thin air did another person stand next to him and so on until all of them stood in front of her. All dressed in their Hokage robes, and the last two didn't have any of the wounds they had died of. Running towards her teacher and teammate to hug them, she ended up passing through them.

"I'm sorry Sakura, but we are only the spirits of the Hokage and you can not touch us because we don't have a body," Tsunade consoled gently to her crying student.

"What's going on here? Why are you all here and where is here?" questioned Sakura as she turned back around to face the former leaders wanting answers.

"I think I can answer that for you, Lady Hokage," said the First Hokage as he and the rest of the Hokage surrounded her. Once all six Hokage surrounded her, the First Hokage started talking again. "When the chuunin exams happened eight years ago, was the start of the village change towards the better. After Naruto returned from his training with Jiraiya two and a half years later the future of the village was still promising. It was within that year of tracking Sasuke down and his battle with his brother that things started to shift. We will never know what would have happened had Itachi not told him the truth and Sasuke believed him. Since he did, it sent the leader of the Akatsuki to seek out Kabuto and destroy the Leaf. If only the leader of the Akatsuki had been killed before he helped revive Orochimaru, then maybe things wouldn't have gone this path."

"If I may, First Hokage, why tell me something I have thought of over and over again for the past eight years? I'm twenty-one years old and have been fighting this battle since I was seventeen. I've been Hokage for two years and have tried to lead the people that were left the best I could, but look where it got me!" said Sakura harshly. Even after saying it she knew she didn't need to speak that way to him because he seemed to already know.

The Second Hokage was the next to speak to her. "This we already know Lady Hokage, but there is something that you didn't know that we plan to tell you. Remember all that you have learned and gained, all the enemies that you have fought, but most of all remember the friends that you have lost. That will be your drive."

"How can I ever forget them, and all that they taught me? The gifts some of them gave me I will forever cherish. Temari gave me a fan just like hers that I keep with me at all times. Hinata's and Sasuke's gave me sight... I feel blessed they would give them to me. The contracts for summoning that my friends gave me. The weapons scroll that Tenten gave me that has all the weapons in it that she taught me. Naruto's and Tsunade's necklace as well as Shizune's needle launcher. But, what I treasure most of all was their memories." Sakura rambled as she felt some tears falling down her face.

The Third was the next to stand forward. "I know what you are going through, child, is hard. I have watched you since you were a small girl in the academy, then passing your survival test, and your battle with Ino. Even after I died I still watched over the village, and saw you grow from a young girl who was just finding her way in the world to someone who knew what she wanted. That is what you will need in your task if you wish to not repeat what you know."

When Sakura had nothing to say the Fourth spoke. "I never really got to know you Lady Sakura, but if you are anything like what my son tells me then you will succeed. Just know that no matter what you will always be a Hokage, but even we deserve peace."

"I don't know what you guys are talking about. Please stop talking in riddles… and what tasks are you talking about?" Sakura complained as she started to feel restless. _'What were they talking about?'_ thought Sakura as she turned to face the Fifth Hokage and her teacher.

"Sakura, I taught you all that I could and you even taught me. When I took you on as an apprentice, I never dreamed you would become this strong and achieve so much. You surpassed me in medical knowledge as well as in strength, but you did so more in strength of the heart. I never would have been able to go on like you did, so I hope with this gift from us, you can start over. We, the Leaders of the Leaf plan to send you Sakura Haruno, the last living leaf ninja back in time. This gift is to help repair the years of pain that you had to suffer. But, it will not be our time, but another where there is no Sakura Haruno. In that time everything is the same as it was in our world and your job is to stop it from becoming like ours." Tsunade watched as her student fell backwards on her rear-end, and laughed. "Do you know what we're talking about?"

Sakura couldn't believe what they were talking about, but was it possible to fix all that went wrong? She could stop Sasuke from leaving and getting the curse mark and the death of the Third Hokage. "I think I do. Is this for real, do you really mean I can change the past?!" yelled an excited Sakura as she started to think about all she could change for the better.

"Sakura, this is something that you must think about carefully before you act. Remember that time is ever changing. You must be careful of what you change because it could have unforeseen consequences. We plan to send you back when the tides of change started to shift into motion. From there it is up to you, and only you because only you can go and you must go alone," spoke Naruto in his Hokage voice. He was serious and he needed her to know that.

Sakura heard all that Naruto said, but did he mean that Akamaru couldn't go? _'I want to change so much, but he's right. I have to be careful of what I change,'_ thought Sakura as she made mental plans. "If that's the case Naruto, then what will happen to Akamaru here?" Sakura's hand gently petted the dog to let him know she loved him and was thinking about his interests.

"Once you are gone, then this time will cease to exist and you will have to make the new Leaf Village your new home. Akamaru will stay with us until this time fades away and he won't feel anything, just peace knowing he will see Kiba again," the First Hokage spoke. "What is your answer, Lady Hokage?"

Sakura really didn't have to think much on it if she knew that Akamaru would be fine, but she wanted his opinion on the matter. Looking over at the dog he answered the question for her himself. He went behind her and hit her in the middle of the back towards the First Hokage's sprit. Knowing that her decision had already been made for her, she answered the question. "I will go First Lord Hokage and I will not let you all down," she stood up and looked at Naruto. "That's a promise."

Naruto had a smile on his face, but he knew he had to tell her a couple more things before she left. "Sakura, I'm sorry for the loss of your and Neji's baby, but it probably is for the better since only one of you can go. When you get to this new world, please be careful on who you trust. By the way, I want to clarify something that you seem to have been thinking in the cave before you and Neji hooked up. You are NOT the mother hen of the group, you are NOT WEAK, and yes some of your views on Kakashi were right. Kakashi was not the grandfather, but a father to all of use since we all lost ours. He was always there to catch us when we needed it, he never let us do anything that wasn't in our best interest. If he knew we could do something then he would push us until we could do it. You, Sakura, are Sasuke's and my honorary sister and no matter where you are, we will be drawn to you because of your big heart and kind nature." His large smile was contagious and spread to the others. "Yes, you would heal us and keep us in line, but you forgot a major key in your thinking. You also argued with us and fought with us, just like siblings do, and me being the glue. That's another thing you're wrong on because it was you that we always wanted to be around. It was because of you that I became as strong as I am today and why Sasuke came back. You were the one that made Kakashi always show up for training because of your temper and your calming presence after having a good fight. Ok, I think that covers it," Naruto complimented, who now was wearing his trademark grin.

With Naruto's speech done the Hokages looked at each other and nodded their heads. They started to perform hand signs that she had never seen before. She turned to face Akamaru to see him standing by Naruto's legs. Walking over to him, she kneeled down to hug the giant dog one last time. "I'll miss you Akamaru and I will make sure that Kiba stays alive. I'll see you soon," said Sakura, as she kissed him on the nose. Standing up to stand in the center, she heard a voice in her head causing her to stop and turn.

"You will always be my Mistress and even in the other world we will hold a bond that can't be explained. I look forward to meeting you again, and even as a pup I will probably love your voice. It can calm any beast. That is your own special gift," telepathically informed Akamaru, as the light surrounding her got brighter. He could see tears in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall; she would be strong in a world not her own.

Once the hand signs were completed it was Naruto who spoke, "We the former Hokage, Lords of the Land of Fire, and protectors of the Village Hidden in the Leaves give thee our gift. We will send you back when the tides of change started to shift into motion and all wish you luck. Say the Hokage of the Land of Fire," Naruto proclaimed in a stern voice facing the heaven.

When nothing happened at first she had though that it hadn't worked, until a strong burning came from between her breasts. Looking down at the Hokage necklace she saw that it was starting to glow brighter and brighter. She closed her eyes and when the burning finally left, she felt no difference around her. Opening her eyes she looked down and saw land that was untouched by the war for now. When she finally got her bearings she at last noticed she was in the sky, above the village and standing on thin air. That's when she started to fall back toward earth, and at a fast rate. "Oh. SSSHHHHHHHIIIIIIITTTTTTT!" Sakura screamed helplessly as she fell from the sky.

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Authors Note:**

**Special Thanks to Itachiswife for being the first to review the first two chapters! Chapter 3 and 4 are for you! :)**

Read and Review please!!!

Now the action starts, and I hope people weren't to grossed out about the death scenes. This chapter was really hard for me to write because one of our dogs we have had for 13 years is sick. The next couple of chapters might seem short, but they are really important. Well, there are clues to future chapters in about each chapter and it's up to you all to see what they might be. What might seem unimportant, just might be, so try and remember most of the important parts.

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**Summary**- When Sakura wanted a change of pace, she hadn't expected THIS! Now she's on a mission with Kakashi, masquerading as a dancer at a club far away from home and she finds herself forced to explore her own powers of sexuality and seduction. LEMON

*~*

_**BETA Note**_

YARR I'm done! Take THAT work! Heh. It was like this chapter wouldn't get done! Too… much… work!


	4. Second Chance

**_Chapter 4- Second Chance_**

"Oh, SSSHHHHHHHIIIIIIITTTTTTT!" Sakura bellowed at the top of her lungs, wondering why she had to be falling. Reaching her right hand behind her, she grasped her gigantic fan that she had strapped to her back. Pulling the fan from the material wrapped around her waist, she then pointed the fan above her. With a movement of her wrist the fan opened all the way and she pushed it under her body. With the fan under her body, she could control the fan and the air current around the fan to get it to go where she wanted it to go. Finally slowing her descent, she steered the fan towards the Academy's training ground. Taking the current position of the sun into consideration, Sakura deduced that the students should have been in class. As she cast a genjutsu so none of the students would see her approaching, she didn't notice that someone had seen her falling and was following her.

As she was about to land, she felt a somewhat familiar chakra signature, but she wasn't sure who it was. This wasn't good. She had thought that she wouldn't have been seen, but there was nothing she could do now. Seconds before she touched the ground, she pulled the fan out from under her to beside her, using it now as a shield to block the kunai that were thrown at her from the shadows. Turning her body to face the attacker as he stepped out had her stepping back in shock. It had worked, but when was she? Looking back at her was none other than Team 10 teacher; Asuma Sarutobi and he didn't look happy to see her.

"Who are you and why are you here? Are you here to cause problems for the Chuunin Exams? Are you here to take part in the exams? ...If you are you're a little late. The second part of the exams has already begun, so you're out of luck. What land do you hail from? You bear both the Land of Wind and Fires headbands," pelted Asuma, as he looked at the female ninja in front of him and awaited an answer. Sakura's head spun with so many questions in succession.

Azuma watched her carefully. Whoever she was, she was beautiful and eccentric and he had never seen eyes or hair like hers before. Her hair was a cherry blossom pink, a little past her shoulders and her eyes were the color of emerald. Her face held a look of indifference as did her stance; it almost reminded him of Kakashi's. The hair framed her young face nicely and she wore the Leaf headband over her forehead, but what caught his attention were the earrings. In her left ear, she had three piercings that looked similar to what his students wore in their ears. Her right ear had something different: she had a small bell hanging down, but when she moved her head it made no noise.

Her style of clothing was something that he would recognize because it was the same style as the one Kurenai donned. The only real difference was the color, and she had sleeves on both arms. The top left part of the outfit was maroon, while the right was silver and where the two colors met in the middle was black. Unlike Kurenai, she didn't have a fishnet top underneath her dress, but bandaged it, like his student Ino. Around her waist was a large piece of maroon cloth that dangled; acting like a belt and looked just like what that sand kunoichi wore. But, around the belt was the headband of the sand village. He couldn't see if anything was hidden under the loose sleeves of the shirt, but he noticed that she was wearing gloves on her hands. Her legs were bandaged all the way down to her ankles and she was wearing silver shin guards, just like Anko.

She had the standard kunai and shuriken pouch tied to her left leg. She didn't wear the standard ninja sandals, but shoes like that of the legendary sannin Tsunade. The fan that was in her right hand was just as gigantic looking as the sand kunoichi's, but this one was open. The design on the fan was different, but it did seem to fit her hair color. The fan had three different pictures painted on it: they were the stages of the cherry blossom trees growth. Stage one, a barren tree, stage two, the tree in full growth with its branches out, blossoming, and stage three, the cherry blossom tree in full bloom. Still attached to her back was a medium sized black scroll that could be used to hide anything. She didn't look very old, but if he had to guess, she was probably about 14-16 years old.

Sakura knew that he was awaiting her response, but she wondered if she really wanted to tell him anything. But, then if she didn't, he would go to the Hokage and that wasn't what she wanted. "Listen, I'm a friend of the Leaf... a friend of mine from the Sand village gave me his headband before he died. I'm just here to visit with an old friend of mine, and yes, I have my paperwork. I'm not taking part in the exams."

'_Actually, yes, I am but you don't need to know that,'_ Sakura coyly admitted to herself.

She really needed to get out of here. She was busy and had places to go. When Asuma didn't say anything, she thought he might let her go, so she closed her fan and placed it under the scroll on her back, under the belt. Getting tried of waiting, Sakura started doing hands signs.

Asuma notice that she was doing hand signs and got into a defensive stance and pulled out his chakra knives. He didn't know what she was doing, but whatever it was he would be ready.

Just as she was finishing she looked up at him and smiled. "Sorry, but I'm already running late. Gotta go, bye!" Sakura waved goodbye as she finished the jutsu. When she was done her body dispersed into a shower of flower petals. It took him a couple of seconds to know what was going on.

Wait... he knew this genjutsu. It was one of Kurenai's!

He did the counter for the jutsu. When the petals disappeared, the girl was nowhere in sight. Asuma decided that he would keep a look out for the girl, but he would tell the Hokage about her. Asuma headed back towards the tower where the other jounin were waiting to get summoned when their teams finished.

Once Asuma was gone, Sakura canceled the other genjutsu out that made him think that she had disappeared. She turned around to make sure no one else was around and preformed the transformation jutsu, and changed her look. She transformed into her twelve-year-old self, but without the Haruno sign on her back and changed her hair color to black, for now. She decided a little reconnaissance was in order to find our when she landed. Walking to the nearest tea shop, she ordered a green tea, sat down and waited for her order. When it did she asked the nice lady if she could bring her a new paper to read up on all the newest celebrity gossip.

"Sure thing, but you won't find any local celebrity gossip in the paper. Maybe I can tell you what you need, since I just love hearing gossip," said Chisee.

"Well, I've been out of the village for a while with my family and we just got back, but I wanted to know what has been going on in the village. My parents can't understand my love for gossip, but what do they know?" Sakura shrilled as she tried to act like her old twelve-years-old self. It was harder than she thought it was since she was no longer that innocent.

"Oh, you'll love this then! You know Sasuke Uchiha—the hottie—he's taking part in the Chuunin Exams with some loser and a really annoying brat of a girl. I think they should be taking part in the second exam now; well that's what my brother was telling me. Ah—I remember those other two kids' names now. The loser's name is Naruto Uzumaki and the girl's name is Jada Tomoe. She is _even more_ annoying than that Ino chick! I mean come on, so what if you're on the same team as the local hottie? That doesn't mean you have to advertise it to the whole village. I mean come on, that girl seriously needs to get a life; if you know what I mean," Chisee rambled on, dramatizing her speech by waving her hands everywhere.

'_Boy, I hope I wasn't that bad of a fan girl, when I followed Sasuke around,'_ thought Sakura as she mentally cringed at those memories. "I think I've meet those two a time or two, but didn't Jada act kind of shy and timid around people growing up?"

The look of Chisee's face told her that she was really off the mark. "That girl, shy?! Not in this lifetime. You know Ino, the one from the flower shop across the street? Well she's worse than her in attitude and dresses worse then her."

'_Worse?'_ flew across Sakura's mind for a split moment.

"She dresses like a slut in her emerald green dress and a slit up to her thigh. Not that the dress didn't go just barely past her thigh to begin with! The front of her dress isn't any better, with her almost exposing her padded breasts!" Chisee continues, patting her own breasts appreciatively and mumbling something about Jada not even having anything to flaunt in the first place, not even with padding.

"That girl is always declaring her love to Sasuke daily by singing; and** boy** that girl's voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Even that loser Naruto and their teacher can't stand her. ...She is smart, but too stupid to take a hint. She thinks," Chisee used air-quotes, "_'EVERYONE'_ likes her because she is _so_ beautiful and talented!" Chisee praised sarcastically. It was clear to Sakura that her replacement wasn't like at all.

"I'm sorry; I got the name confused with another Jada that I know from my travels. Thanks for the run down on what's been happening; keep the change," Sakura chirped as she puffed out of the tea shop without even drinking the tea. Chisee looked down at the money for the tea and smiled. She liked that girl who ever she was—she sure knew how to leave a tip!

Sakura appeared on the roof of the tea shop and headed in the direction of the Forest of Death. She had to make sure her team made it through to the third part of the exam or it all would be for nothing. Pushing chakra into her legs she accelerated her speed since she was still a long way behind.

'_So, this Jada person took over my spot on the team, but she seems like she's worse than me. Could that be even possible!? I was pretty annoying back then; but I need to focus on what is in front me,'_ Sakura thought as she neared the Forest of Death. Landing on a tree branch outside the border of the forest allowed Sakura to scout were some of the guards were.

After making sure her chakra was hidden, Sakura activated her eyes to find where they were located. She found one located at each gate that was within her vision. Deciding to take the direct route, she disappeared from the branch. Approaching the guard station nearest her position, she walked slowly towards the guard and dispelled her transformation jutsu. When the guard saw this he went to sound the alarm until a soft, bell like noise reached his ear. He looked into her emerald eyes and the bell sound turned into a soft, female voice humming. He couldn't fight the pull any longer and started to fall towards the ground. Sakura rushed towards the guard and caught him in her arms and gently laid him on the ground next to a tree.

When she was done she took off into the forest to find her teammates. She just needed to avoid everyone.

After looking for about an hour and not having any luck, she stopped on a tree branch to summon one of her dogs. Biting her thumb, she smeared the blood on top of her left wrist and preformed the summoning jutsu. When the smoke cleared, standing at her feet was Pakkun.

"Hello Pakkun, how are you and your brothers doing?" asked Sakura as she knelt down to pet the small dog. This would be her first test to see if she would still have a bond with her summons or not. She hoped she still did because she wasn't looking forward to earning all their trust again.

Pakkun looked up at the girl that had summoned him and was petting him. _'How did she summon me and know about my brothers? Kakashi is the only one who has signed our contract and if another had, he would have told me,_' Pakkun wondered as he enjoyed his petting. She was rubbing just in the right spot behind in left ear; that was his feel good spot. "Okay kid, why did you summon me, and how did you summon me when Kakashi is the only one with the signed contract?"

"Well Pakkun, that's a real easy question to answer! My name is also on the contract and I know the hand signs. Pakkun... listen. I really don't have long to talk, but I need your help finding someone. But, if this will help you in trusting me then fine," said Sakura as laid her hand on his head and focused some chakra into her eyes she had him look into them. In her world, she showed him their past together and who she was, but didn't show him all of their history—just the parts where Kakashi gave her the scroll and her walks with Pakkun in the forest. Bringing him out of her world, she saw him shake his head; she brought her eyes back to normal.

Pakkun couldn't believe what he had seen, but he knew she was telling the truth. If he trusted her before, then he would do so again. He wouldn't tell Kakashi; just the other dogs. Pakkun looked up at her and nodded his head, letting her know that he understood her and he would follow her orders. Sakura smiled in thanks.

"Ok, Pakkun, I know Kakashi had you memorize his teammates' scents in case they were taken hostage and needed you to find them. I need you to show me where the members of Team 7 are," Sakura ordered quickly, waiting for him to lead the way. When Pakkun nodded his head, he smelled the air in different directions until he found the scents of Team 7. He jumped off of the tree and headed in the direction she was headed in, Sakura followed behind. Following Pakkun, she brought a little chakra to her ears like Kiba taught her to enhance her hearing. She didn't want to be surprised by anyone if they tried to sneak up on her and the little pug.

Pakkun ran towards the direction of the scent of Team 7, but there was a strong scent of blood in the air. And it seemed to get stronger as they got closer to Team 7's location.

"Lady Sakura, we will be approaching them soon, but there is a smell of blood in the air. It seems to be coming from all three of them, but mainly Jada." When they finally got to the scene, it was what they both had feared once he had mentioned blood in the air.

Sakura looked at the scene as memories came back of her time in the exams. Naruto was pinned to a tree with a kunai; Sasuke was lying on the ground in pain grabbing his neck. He must have just gotten the curse mark just a while ago, and the girl... She was dead, with a kunai through her stomach. Sakura guessed that the genjutsu of her death was too much to face and must have killed herself. _'At least I didn't do that,'_ thought Sakura, as she changed her appearance to that of the girl Jada. Pushing her body under some shrubs where it wouldn't be found for a while, she turned to look at Pakkun. "Thanks, I owe you one." Pakkun just nodded his head and puffed away. Sakura walked over towards Sasuke and kneeled down next to him and held him. He fought it at first, but finally he just stopped when he passed out. Sakura looked up at the sky and prayed that she could pass as this Jada person, but not be as horrid as her. They needed to get through these exams, but to do that; they needed to be a team.

Sakura listened and couldn't hear anyone near her yet, so she was still safe for the time being. She needed to get the boys to shelter, set the traps, and take care of their wounds all before those Sound ninjas appeared. Putting Sasuke over her shoulder, she jumped near the branch that Naruto was stuck to and freed him. Lifting him up and placing him on her other shoulder, she took off to find shelter with the boys. Only traveling about a quarter of a mile she found the same hollowed out tree as she did last time. Placing both boys on the ground she got to work. First she set the traps, just like she did last time. Even if they didn't work, they would serve their purpose. Once she was done she went to gather water to keep Sasuke's fever down, since it needed to run its course. The curse mark needed to take over his body; she just hoped Jada could convince him to change back. Walking back to the camp, she started to hear the silent approach of ninjas. It had to be Sound.

So they were finally going to show themselves soon. Looking up into the sky she remembered that they wouldn't attack for a couple more hours, which was a ways away. Getting back to the boys she quickly healed their wounds and decided to get a little rest before the party started.

Faking sleep was not hard; it was trying not to attack those noisy pests. She decided it was time to change the cloth on Sasuke's forehead for a cooler one. She replaced the fabric quickly.

Sitting back down, she awaited their trap and it was at that moment that the squirrel came out of the bushes. It was time for the act to begin and play her part. Surprised, Jada threw the kunai at the squirrel to stop it from tripping one of her traps. When the squirrel turned around and ran off she exhaled her held breath. Falling asleep again she waited for them to make their presence known. She only had to wait a couple of minutes before they would attack and she would take this time to plan ahead if anything went wrong.

Everything did go according to plan and played out just like it did in her world. Rock Lee battled Dosu (but didn't say he loved her), she cut Jada's hair, battled Zaku, and Team 10 appeared and fought the three. Before Team 10 appeared, Ino watched as Jada cut her hair, and she swore she would NEVER cut it. As the battle progressed Ino felt that this was a different Jada then before, maybe taking this test changed her. Ino felt compelled to help the girl and no matter how hard she tried to deny it, the feeling became stronger. It was during Team 10's battle that Sasuke woke up and demanded to know who caused Jada all of her injuries. He broke Zaku's arms and was about to fight Dosu, when Jada ran towards his back and wrapped her arms around him. Jada hugged Sasuke and was crying.

Sasuke would normally throw Jada off of him, but it was something in her eyes that stopped him. They seemed to show mainly pain, but it was the understanding that stopped him. Understanding of what; but he didn't think of it too long because the curse mark started to recede and it exhausted him.

When everyone was out of danger, Sakura finally felt better about things. Ino cut more of her hair to even it out and Sakura watched Neji and his team. This Neji wasn't hers and he wouldn't be for quite a while. This Neji still hated his cousin for something she couldn't control and never really wanted. Naruto would show him the light and he would learn that destiny could be changed. Neji back then was a jerk, but he would learn his lesson from Naruto later. Naruto would help shape him into the man she fell in love with, but now he was too young. She was sixteen and he was just thirteen, but she would always have those memories. She just wished that the baby would have lived because it was theirs, but there was nothing she could do. She would mourn more when she was by herself.

Sakura was happy that everything went according to plan and happened just like it did in her world. She just hoped that no one asked questions about why she was different. _'Well, if they ask, I'll just tell them that she decided to grow up. This part of the exams opened my eyes,' _Sakura mumbled as she watched the last of the other team members leave their campsite. Now all she had to do was not kill Kabuto when she saw him again. That task would test her patience and she would have to be on guard to not let hers down. She couldn't afford to mess up now.

Team 7 met up with Kabuto and they helped each other get the rest of the way through the forest. On more than one occasion she had to stop her self from killing the bastard; he was so close, but yet so far away. The boys from Team 7 just chalked her weird behavior up to her being mental. They just assumed Zaku's hits had caused some brain damage. Not that they were complaining, because now she wasn't so loud and annoying. Once they departed from Kabuto's presence, she felt better knowing that soon, his true allegiance would be known. Once they summoned Iruka from the Heaven and Earth scrolls and got their instructions they headed to meet the remaining groups.

Sakura was walking on cloud nine, because her team had past the exams so now all she had to do was hopefully battle Ino. Walking behind the two boys she turned her enhanced hearing off because there was just too much noise around them. She didn't know how Kiba could manage those enhanced senses. Sakura couldn't wait to see Akamaru again and know that he was alive. They all were alive.

She had a hard enough time not crying tears of joy when she saw Team 10 and Rock Lee's teammates. Soon Sakura would be facing everyone. Sakura smiled because she knew that she would finally see all her friends again, but could she handle it?

'_Yes, I can! I will make sure that their futures are bright even if it kills me,' _thought Sakura, resolved on this issue, while running to catch up to the two boys.

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Authors Note:**

We're really rolling in this chapter. Sorry about not writing out the whole battle with Jada's character and the journey through the forest. Cherry BlossomUchiha and I figured that people would just skip or skim over it. Well, now people can picture what she looks like, and if people want to create pictures for this story, they are welcomed.

Recommend Read-of-the-week  
Sakura/Undecided  
Sound Princess by Sasuke Haruno101  
**Summary**- Sound...The place where Orochimaru found her... Sakura. She was abandoned there by her parents and he took her in, teaching her, training her, molding her, loving her to his hearts content. Now she has to leave to Konoha for training, but not by herself.

_**BETA'S NOTE**_

I'm… such a bad person. Making people wait… I'm so sorry! I've just been… busy, you know? I won't bore you with details.


	5. Seeing the Ghosts from the Past

**_Chapter 5- Seeing the Ghosts from the Past_**

Sakura caught up to the boys before they walked through the doors that would take them into the battle arena. When they walked through the doors, Sakura stopped just in the entrance of the door and couldn't help but feel her heart stop. She thought she could handle seeing everyone (she had already seen Team 10 and Team Gai), but this was almost too much. Sakura could feel her body starting to shake and her eyes started to get misty; she fell on her butt. She didn't care if she made this Jada person look even more stupid; she needed time to get her emotions under control. Her sight of the arena was cut off by Sasuke standing in front of her.

"Get up Jada! Now!" demanded Sasuke as he looked down at the shaking form of his teammate. When she didn't do what he asked, he decided to get her attention another way. He was about to slap her, when his hand was caught in mid-air by Jada's hand.

"I'm fine, Sasuke. I just needed time to take in everything, I mean it's not everyday that we pass the chuunin exams. Come on, let's go," 'Jada' whimpered as she got up off the ground, grabbed Sasuke's arm, and dragged him towards the waiting Naruto. Sakura turned to look at the remaining ninjas, and wanted to smack herself. Did she have to cause that big of a scene? But it couldn't be helped. Walking closer to the groups of gathered ninjas, Sakura felt like she was walking into a graveyard. Feeling the sensation of losing it again, Sakura breathed in and tried to calm her nerves; when it worked she felt better for the worse.

She took her place within the group of awaiting ninjas. Soon the Hokage would come out and inform them what the reason for having the Chuunin Exams was for. Then they battle.

A battle to secure their places in the next test.

Once the Hokage appeared and started telling everyone about the exams, Sakura looked for the snake. Spotting him standing with the other teachers, Sakura clenched her hands to stop herself from drawing her weapon and attacking him. Now that would cause problems and she didn't need anymore problems than she already had. Taking her eyes off him, she turned to look at everyone she had a one time called family. The sand siblings were here under orders from their father, who was really Orochimaru. The two older siblings feared their brother because of the demon curse inside of him. Gaara, Sakura relented—he was so misguided in life, but his battle with Naruto would help him understand where true power came from. They would be strong allies in the future and she wanted to get a jump start by being Gaara's friend after his battle with Naruto. There would be time to think on that later, though.

Next, she spotted Team 8 and she had to laugh silently to herself because Hinata was tapping her fingers together. She was watching Naruto just like she always did. She wondered how often she watched him—she didn't notice the first time, but maybe this time she would watch her. Those two did make a cute pair in the future and they both always drew strength from the other. Hinata changed so much from the shy, timid girl she was now to someone who commanded respect from everyone. With Neji's help, her Byakugan became almost as strong as his and he helped make her a stronger person. She remembered all the times she and Hinata would train with each other or just talk; man, could that girl talk when she wanted to.

Looking for Shino she found him watching from the sides of his glasses sizing up the competition. She wished she had become better friends with him in the future, but he never really let anyone close to him, after his team member's deaths. It would be just enough to know that he was on your side and would be there to back you up. The bugs he housed in his body used to creep her out, but she got use to them after having to work with him all the time. Kiba and Akamaru were the easiest to find because of his fur coat. It was great to see Kiba again but she couldn't wait to see Akamaru. Akamaru had been by her side for two years, so it was going to feel a little strange without him beside her. Lightly so that no one but Akamaru would hear she whistled a comforting tune.

Hidden in Kiba's coat, Akamaru was shaking from the power radiating off of that Sand ninja. Besides the power, he could smell that his skin and that gourd were drenched in blood. Trying to take comfort in his master's presence, he heard a silent, comforting whistle that seemed to take the fear out of him. The whistle: all will be alright my friend and be calm. He didn't know who did it, he would find out later, but for some reason he believed it.

Already having seen the rest of the teams, she turned to observe the other teachers. Kakashi seemed to be the same, if ignoring Gai was any indication and his indifferent posture. She would have to be careful around him; he always had a way of seeing under the underneath in plans. Gai was still the same idiot, but people couldn't help but admire his dedication to his students. Team Gai was a force to be reckoned with in training or on the battlefield. He was the one who got her to wear some weights under her shin guards, but not as much a Rock Lee. Kurenai looked to be the same, but she knew she was a tough teacher especially when teaching genjutsu. She was one of the reasons Sakura was a mistress at genjutsu.

She already had meet Asuma and Iruka, but it was nice to see both Anko and Ibiki. She may not have gotten to really know Ibiki like she wanted, but she did pick up a thing or two from him from the last exams she had taken. Anko was a woman who never let people get to know her, unless you earned her respect or offered her sweets.

Sakura finally noticed that people were starting to take to the sides of the arena. Had she really just spaced out that long? Turning around to get up the stairs she saw that Sasuke was going to have his match with Yoroi. Stopping next to her teammate she turned to face him, "Good luck Sasuke," and she took off towards the stairs. She knew he was looking at her, she could feel his eyes on her, but all she did she was smile as she stopped near her team. She leaned against the railing to watch his fight, even though she knew who would win. She still wanted to watch the battles and hoped they would go as they did before.

Watching Sasuke's battle was still amazing because with just sheer will he forced the curse mark to recede. When Kakashi took Sasuke away to seal the curse mark, she actually saw Orochimaru slip into the shadows and disappear. _'Now where could that bastard be going? Definitely not to turn himself in; probably more on the lines of getingt information from his spy,_' Sakura thought. She watched as the next couple of names appeared on the board, and as long as none of them were hers, she was fine.

She decided it was time to go wash her face before her match since Kankurou's match wouldn't last long. In the restroom she really got a look at the girl she was impersonating, and boy was she different. Emerald green hair, pink eyes and a body that didn't eat enough; but she wasn't any different when she was that age. Looking up in the mirror she saw Ino looking at her. "Can I help you?"

Ino looked at Jada and had known Jada since they were kids, but she seemed so different. "Yeah, you can. What's up with you Jada? I know this isn't like you. You're not being annoying, so something's up."

Sakura turned to face Ino and decided that telling her as close to the truth as she could would be better. "Well Ino, in the forest I saw my own death and I didn't like it very much. Then facing off against those Sound ninjas, it really hit me that I needed to take things seriously. I need to stop being a bitch and start pulling my own weight. But, overall I think I was hit in the head too many times, so some screws are still loose. Does that answer your questions?" Sakura then walked past Ino and headed back towards the arena. She had a battle to tie.

Walking up the stairs, she caught the last bit of a joke Naruto was saying and laughed. She stopped laughing when Kakashi's hand turned her head towards the board displaying the names. She looked up and inwardly smiled, she was still fighting Ino. With everything going as planned, she decided to have a little, harmless fun. She backed up and ran towards the railing and jumped over it and gently landed. She looked up to see a couple of surprised faces and when she spotted Ino as one of them, she cupped her hands over her mouth. "Hey Ino, get down here. I don't have all day." Sakura's battle with Ino happened just like it was suppose to, except there was no real cheering from Naruto and Rock Lee. She just had to poke and prod a little bit to get her to cut her hair, but the results were what she wanted.

She woke up before Ino, since she didn't really pass out and watched as Temari and Tenten's name appeared. That was a battle she wished she didn't have to watch, she knew how much those winds could hurt a person. Tenten's weapons weren't any better, but she was still getting better, at this stage she was just a little cocky. _'Well, both of them are a little cocky at this point. I mean Temari is easily a jounin and she needs to win to be in the final rounds,' _thought Sakura as she watched the battle play out._ 'Did these matches really take this long the first time? I can't believe this and it's just the fifth match. There are still five more to go. This sucks!'_

When the match finally ended, she was glad because things were going according to plan. After everyone fought and was told about the rules and who they would be fighting, she needed to talk to the Hokage. She needed him on her side. She didn't want to keep playing this Jada girl; she wanted to be herself, just younger. It was time to finally face another person from her past, but would he believe her? She just hoped that if not, she could always tell him she knew about Itachi, but only as a last resort. She wondered how Itachi was doing; he was probably traveling with that shark looking for the demons. She would think on that later, she had battles to watch.

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Authors Note:**

So the preliminary rounds have started, and again, I didn't think people would really read the parts with the fighting. The next chapter is when things get better and might answer some of your questions. When I started writing this chapter, I was helping a friend out, who had lost a pet. Who knew that later in the week, it we would be trading places. As you have noticed, Jada isn't a favorite among people and you will see why much later, but there is a reason. I plan to write a side story explaining Jada's character later after the story is finished.

Recommend Read-of-the-week  
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**Summary-** Haruno Sakura, an eighteen-year-old wanderer kunoichi of dark past comes to Konoha and changes many lives...and especially of Uchiha Sasuke who as well has a dark shadow behind. Sakura might even find her home after long journey. Based on novel Chocolate.

_**BETA'S NOTE**_

Raaagh! Finally! Done! I'm so bad. Forgive me.


	6. Time is Unraveled—Questions are Answered

**Author's Note 1: Please Read!** I thought that I might get a few more reviews then just the nine that I have. I'm I doing something wrong, please tell me and I will try and make it better. Is it the style in which I write, how things are happening…what? Please let me know. Before I forget, chapters 2-5 got a revised! I might later add more to the story later after I get it done. Ok, you can read this chapter now.

**_*~*~*~*~*~*~*_**

**_Chapter 6- Time is Unraveled—Questions are Answered_**

'_Ok, so maybe talking to the Hokage sounded easier than I thought, but come on! This is important!'_ thought Sakura, as she watched everyone slowly leave the arena. She had slipped into the shadows when people had started to leave, so she might meet the Hokage alone. When it was only a couple of the teachers and a few of the proctors, she decided to step out of the shadows and walk towards the gathered adults. Asuma was the first to see her. No one said anything as she approached them. They just assumed she wanted to talk to Kakashi; he made an appearance again after everyone had left.

"What can I do for you, Jada? If it's about Sasuke, I will tell you later, so just run along and get you nails done or something. I do believe that's what you do every week, around this time, so let us adults talk." ordered Kakashi, as he looked over the top of his infamous book at Jada. Jada was just too annoying to put up with sometimes. A girl that put her looks ahead of everything else didn't deserve to be a kunoichi. When Jada didn't seem to be leaving, the copy ninja wondered what else she could want.

"I don't need anything Kakashi, and I know that Sasuke is fine. About the nails, I think they can wait," said Sakura as she looked at her teacher. She turned her attention to the leader of the village. "Lord Hokage, I'm in need of guidance, and would prefer to talk about it in your office. No, Kakashi can't help me with this, and you are the only other person in this village I would ask about this." Sakura was intensely watching his facial expressions and body language. With a turn of his eyes, she knew his answer. "Alright Lord Hokage, I will come see you later." Sakura turned away from the adults and headed towards the doors to leave, all the while grumbling under her breath.

Once she was out of the arena, she looked up at the placement of the sun to get the time. She decided she'd check into a room, shower and eat. But first, she needed to go and do a little shopping. There was absolutely no way she would stand to wear the clothes she was wearing now. She knew the Hokage would be back in the office in a couple of hours to finish more paper work, and she would get him to listen then. Disappearing in a flurry of petals, Sakura decided to get things under way; she had a lot to get done in very little time.

Reappearing in front of a complex of apartments she knew well, she walked in the front to talk to the owner about renting one of the apartments. When she was inside and saw that no one was around and the owner was not in the front yet, she changed her look again.

Standing in Jada's place was Sakura, in the form that she had used in the teahouse, except she had her long, trademark pink hair. When the owner finally showed up, she got the apartment she wanted and paid her rent in advance for the next year. When she was given the key to the room, she made sure to inform him that she was a kunoichi, and her room would be protected. Some of his clients were ninja, so he knew what she was saying: don't step into my apartment unless you want to die.

With the key in her hand, she took off to shop for new clothes that would fit her sixteen-year-old body. Once she found a store, she moved quickly, purchasing all of the essentials. With bags of clothes in hand, she decided to take the clothes back to the room so she could get the rest of her stuff on her list. Walking into a dark alley, Sakura disappeared to the front of the complex.

She hurried up the steps to the seventh floor and walked until she was in front of the seventh door and opened the door with the key. Once in the dark room, she walked into the apartment and walked around the furniture supplied, walked down a hall and stopped in front of the master bedroom. Opening the door, she walked to the bare bed, and laid the bags on top of it.

She had forgotten that the owner scarcely supplied anything for the apartments. Leaving the apartment, she finished what was on her list after about five trips to different stores, in her search for food, furnishings for her place, and weapons.

After she was set and had everything in the apartment in about the right places, she set to work putting the things where they belonged and cleaning the apartment to her liking. After a couple of hours putting food away, cleaning, arranging the apartment, and putting the clothes away, she was finally done. Taking one last look around the apartment she decided it was time for the security jutsu to be put into place. She had many secrets to hide.

After about thirty minutes of putting the jutsu in place, she finally dropped her transformation. Walking into the bedroom, she walked into the walk in closet and removed the gigantic fan, then the scroll, from her back and laid them against the wall. She reached down and removed her shoes, shin guards, then the weights and placed them next to the fan. Reaching into the sleeves of her outfit, she removed the hidden poison needle launcher and arm guards and took her gloves off.

She walked into the bathroom and started the long process of taking the wrappings off of her legs and body so she could shower. When she came to the headband tied to her waist, she took great care to fold it and lay it on the bathroom vanity. It was Gaara's final gift to her before he died, and it was a gift she would treasure forever. She left her earrings, and necklace where they were and she would continue to wear them, only keep the necklace hidden from sight. She slipped out of the rest of her outfit and stepped into the shower.

Turning the water on, Sakura jumped as the cold water hit her naked body. Sakura had a body that any kunoichi would die for, because she had no fat. She wasn't overly muscular, but perfect and had the curves in all the right places. Her breasts weren't huge like her teacher's, but not small like they had been when she was younger; she was a happy in-between. She had an hourglass figure, and she knew what her body could do in missions of seduction. Her body, when it wasn't hidden with a jutsu, had scars from her many battles won and lost. Her skin wasn't overly tanned, but just enough that she looked healthy and was as soft as silk.

The knowledge that she needed to still eat and get dressed to face the Hokage had Sakura rushing to finish showering. Once she was out she grabbed her clean clothes and put them on.

Her outfit was simple and served its purpose well; she also took the used wrappings and placed them on a shelf to use later. On the same shelf, she took off new wrappings to wrap around her wrists. The top fit her body like a glove and was maroon and had simple sleeves just like her other outfit; it hid her hands from view. She decided leaving her gloves on would be smart, because she would need them later to demonstrate who she was and what she could do.

Her skirt was the standard medic skirt, except it was black as were her shorts. She walked back into the closet and put her heeled sandals back on and left the rest of the stuff off. She wasn't going to war yet, so why not unload? She placed the two headbands back in their proper locations: one on her forehead, the other on her hip. Checking her appearance one last time, she left the bathroom and went to get something to eat.

After she ate, she locked the apartment door and placed a seal so no one but her could enter the room without being tortured. Once in the hall and convinced that no one was there, she transformed back into Jada's form and headed towards the Hokage tower. While walking she caught people pointing and staring at her, and she was beginning to dislike it. This girl was starting to be more of a pain than a help, and she couldn't wait to change back.

The walk to the tower took longer than she had thought because she kept stopping to watch the children play and the villagers working without a care. They didn't hide in fear of when the next attack would be, nor lock their children in the house to protect them. No, these people were free from fear and misery. Once she got to the tower she slipped into the shadows to get into the tower since she didn't have an appointment.

Slipping through the halls and bypassing the guards was easy since she knew the layout of the tower like the back of her hand. When she finally got passed everyone and they still didn't sense her chakra, she knew she was safe. Waiting in the shadows by the Hokage door, she knew that the secretary would be coming out soon with an armload of papers to file. After about thirty minutes of waiting, she wondered if she had messed up, when the said doors opened with the secretary walking out carrying a load of paper. Checking to make sure no one was looking, she slipped through the doors into the office. As the doors closed she turned to face the Hokage to see that he hadn't even felt her presence or felt her enter. Within the shadows, Sakura cleared her throat to get his attention and it more than worked—he looked up so fast she heard a crack from his neck.

Hearing someone clearing their throat in his office, the Third looked up in the direction of the noise to see no one. He was about to go back to his stack of paper work, until he saw Jada Tomoe step out of the shadows.

'_Why can't I feel her chakra and why didn't I know she had entered the office?'_ thought the Third as he studied Jada.

There was nothing different about her except she wasn't being loud and driving people crazy in the village. When he was about to ask her a question, Jada started performing hand signs well above her level and her speed. When she was done, the room was glowing a faint green color. She had just performed an S-rank jutsu for keeping the right people in and the right voices in, and the wrong people out. Standing up, the Third was about to cancel the jutsu, when he realized he couldn't move his body.

"Now that wasn't very nice, Lord Hokage. If I wanted others to hear what I had to say, then I would have invited them. What I have to say is extremely important and is meant for your ears only at this current time," spoke Jada as she walked over to the sofa in the office and had the Hokage sit back in his chair. The Third was still trying to fight the shadow procession jutsu; she figured she had better start talking soon. "Lord Hokage, please stop fighting the shadow jutsu. I need you to listen to me and I hope you understand what I'm about to say. I'm going to release the jutsu only after you promise me that you will hear me out," spoke Sakura, as she looked the Third in the eyes.

The Third didn't know what to make of this situation. Jada shouldn't have known this jutsu, and for once she wasn't talking in her whining voice. This couldn't be the same Jada who had gone into the Forest of Death, because she was just too different. After considering he didn't have anything to lose, he nodded his head and she released the jutsu. "Now Jada, what is so important that you have to go to such measures to talk to me?"

"Well, Lord Hokage, I'm going to get to the point and not beat around the bush. Jada Tomoe is dead. She died in the Forest of Death from a self-inflicted wound. She couldn't handle the genjutsu that Orochimaru showed her—it was of her death by his hands. I came across her body, and transformed into her to take her place in the exams. Team 7 must pass the exams so that certain events may pass," explained Sakura in a grave voice. She watched as the Third's eyes got wider and wider the more she talked; he didn't even know what was to come.

The Third got up from behind the desk and started pacing and mumbling under his breath.

'_Am I hearing right, did he just call me a mental brat that needs my head examined!? I'm not mental and if my head were examined, I think they would be afraid of what they'd find,'_ thought Sakura angrily. She needed to get his attention back on the important things, and fast.

The Third didn't like what this girl was saying. _'Who is this imposter? How does she know about Orochimaru? Why did Team 7 need to pass the exams? Is this person really Jada, and she's just gone crazy from the events that happened in the forest? I need answers, and I need them now!'_ thought the Third as he stopped pacing to stand back by the desk and look at his guest.

When the Third finally stopped to look at Sakura, she knew she needed to tell him more. "Lord Hokage, in the coming month, the last part of the chuunin exams will take place, but not without conflict. The problem I speak of is the alliance that the Village Hidden in the Sand has with the Hidden Sound; they plan to attack Leaf. I know that we have an alliance with Sand, but it will not be honored because Orochimaru has killed the Kazekage. Orochimaru has been masquerading as the Kazekage for a while and will enter the village under the same name. Sand will not learn the truth until after the attack on the village and they retreat home to find the body. He plans to kill every woman and child in the village and leave no one alive; and I mean it." Sakura watched as the information she was giving caused the Third to shake and force him to take a seat in his chair.

When the Third sat in his chair, his head was spinning and he couldn't seem to get it to stop. _'Sand attacking the Leaf Village even with our alliance? No, they couldn't, but what if this girl is right, and we didn't know that we were being misled!?'_ Once some of the information had settled, he looked back up and waited to hear what else she had to say. He would ask questions soon.

When no questions came, Sakura continued with her speech. They were in for a long night, and it was only 6p.m. "Despite serious losses, the attack will fail. Naruto will be sent out with Jiraiya on a mission. That mission will be to bring Lady Tsunade back to the village to become the new Hokage." The Third was about to interrupt but stopped when Jada shook her head and placed her finger on her lips to silence him. When he nodded his head, she continued. "It was during this mission that Naruto will be learning the Fourth's signature move, and they will soon meet up with Tsunade. But, Jiraiya isn't the only one seeking out Tsunade. Orochimaru has other motives, he needs the use of his hands restored to him, and only a skilled medic of her caliber will be able to perform such a task. A battle of the three sannin will take place, with each possessing a handicap of some sort. Orochimaru won't be killed, but the leaf will gain their new Hokage."

"Why would they seek Tsunade out unless I died in this battle you speak of?" asked the Third. As if she knew what was going on in his head she answered his question.

"Lord Hokage, you will die in your match against Orochimaru after sealing off the use of his arms. You will attempt to seal his soul in your body since you are going to already die, but can't because of your age and current injuries. You will die an honorable death, fit for a ninja as great as you. I remember the Will of Fire burned throughout the village for many years."

"Burned? Why not still burning? Why do you talk about it in the past tense?" Perhaps this question would explain things more clearly.

"After your passing and Tsunade taking over the village, we needed money so everyone was sent on missions. Team 7 was sent of a mission to the Land of Tea. It was during this mission that the dynamics of the Team 7 changed, and not for the better. It was after this mission that Sasuke would leave the village and seek out the power offered to him by Orochimaru. He wanted that power so he could finally kill his brother, and avenge his clan. A team was assembled by Shikamaru to retrieve Sasuke from Sound, but they didn't succeed," said Sakura as she recalled the night that Sasuke placed her on the bench.

'_Thank you is all you said to me, before you knocked me out. I never understood why until later, and for that I'm sorry.'_ Sakura thought regretfully.

"So Orochimaru succeeded in gaining a new body I presume? I now wish I would have killed him when I had the chance all those years ago; but I was a fool," said the Third. He remembered when he let his student leave his lab to continue his experiments somewhere else. Bringing himself back into the present, he waited for Jada to finish talking.

Sakura told him of Naruto's training with Jiraiya to overcome Sasuke and hopefully return his best friend to their home for good. It was obvious that retelling this information was painful for the girl.

The Third didn't know what to make of all the information that was given to him. It held no real relevance because he was dead, but maybe there was a reason for her telling him all of this. Could she see the future, is this why she was here, to prevent what she saw? He would wait and see what else she said before he said anything else.

Sakura knew it was now or never to reveal who she was because from here she played a major part. "Lord Hokage, my real name is Sakura Haruno. I was the original third member of Team 7. We went to Wave as the first C-rank mission that later turned out to be an A-rank. We were nominated for the chuunin exams, which we took, but unlike Jada, I didn't kill myself because of the genjutsu. We passed the exams as you saw earlier, and don't worry, Rock Lee will become a ninja again with Tsunade's help. During the invasion, Naruto, Shikamaru, Pakkun, and I were in pursuit of the Sand siblings and Sasuke. Sasuke wanted to finish his round, but he wasn't able to because Gaara was using his demon powers. He used the curse mark, but it still did no damage to Gaara's armor. It was Naruto who showed him in a battle of strength that set him straight." Sakura may not have been awake during the last part, but Naruto had no trouble telling her about it later in great detail when she would actually listen.

When the Hokage didn't say anything, Sakura continued with the tale. "It was after your funeral that Naruto was asked by Jiraiya to go on a training trip with him. He promised to teach him a move that would put Chidori to shame. Since I wasn't there I can't really tell you much more than I already did, but I do have something new during this travel. It was shortly after the two left; that two members of the organization known as the Akatsuki showed up. Their goal was to capture Naruto, but he wasn't there anymore, and Asuma, Kakashi, and Kurenai confronted them. The two members happened to have been Leaf's own missing ninja, Itachi Uchiha, and one of the seven swordsmen of the mist, Kisame Hoshigaki. The three failed in capturing them, and it was during Kakashi's recovery from the Tsukuyomi, that Sasuke found out who his brother was after."

Sakura told the Third of Sasuke's slow separation from Team 7.

The Third had a couple of questions buzzing around in his head. "You said that he changed and started to stray; how so? You know of the organization Akatsuki and its members? What are their goals and who are they?"

"I'll get to that, but you're jumping a little far ahead so, let's backup a little. He started to stray because he felt he was no longer 'top dog' in the group. Naruto was progressing in leaps and bounds and Sasuke didn't like it. After the mission and Sasuke was healed, the two fought on the hospital roof to see who was stronger. The match was never finished because Kakashi stepped in and stopped it because they were doing their strongest moves; Rasengan and Chidori. It was later that night that Sasuke was confronted by the Sound 4; they are Orochimaru's bodyguards, to offer to him the chance to join their teacher. The temptation was too much for him so he abandoned his home seeking the power he craved." She continued on to tell him of the mission that Sasuke's friends were sent on to retrieve Sasuke, and the failure of the mission.

The Third could tell that Sakura had loved Sasuke, by the emotion in her voice and the tears in her eyes. Her eyes weren't that of a child, but a ninja who had seen too much too soon. "Knowing Naruto, he didn't take losing well, and you child, must have taken it harder to lose someone so precious to you. But, please continue with your story," said the Third.

Sakura could feel a fresh set of tears starting to fall, and she fought to stop them; when she did she offered him a weak smile. "Lord Hokage, I haven't been a child for a long, long time. Sasuke was precious to me and it did hurt that he left the village, but it did help me grow up and open my eyes. After a mission to try and retrieve him went badly, I asked Tsunade if she would take me on as her apprentice; which she did. Each member of Team 7 was being taught by one of the sannin, and would later take those titles as our own. I stayed in the village to learn all I could from her, and soon it was time for Naruto to leave. Time went by, and two and a half years had already come and gone. Naruto wasn't home for more than a day when he received word that the Akatsuki kidnapped the Kazekage. They wanted to extract the demon from inside him."

"But, you said that the Kazekage was killed by Orochimaru; who stepped up to take the place of the Kazekage?" asked the Third. Now it was getting into some interesting stuff.

The Third listened intently as Sakura relayed the story of Gaara of the Desert to him. Even at this, she felt emotional. She told him of acquiring two new team members—Sai and Yamato. She spoke of the death of Jiraiya, of following Akatsuki.

The Third got up out of the chair and walked around pacing thinking about all the information she was giving him. He knew his secretary would be worried, but would just assume he was having a private meeting with an Anbu member; a really long one. After he didn't feel so stiff and sore, he sat back down and awaited her to finish her story.

"...and so we returned to the village after we could no longer track them. It would only be another four months before Sasuke came back home with his brother; alive." Sakura remembered that day all too well; she was on guard duty by the gates.

*~*Flashback*~*

The day started out like any of the other days she had experienced since she was put on gate duty, and that had been about a month ago. It wasn't her fault that Tsunade was too drunk off her ass to fight right. She was the one who always wanted to train in the morning hours, but this time was a little different. Tsunade had been out drinking because Jiraiya's death was starting to get to her.

So the first moment she stepped into the training ground Tsunade started attacking her. Her fighting was sluggish and predictable, but most of all she was crying. Sakura didn't fight back and that did nothing to stop the anger, it just intensified it. After about five hours of Tsunade fighting Sakura, she stopped and fell to the ground on her knees and cried. It was the first time that Sakura had ever seen her teacher this way. She knelt down next to her and comforted her the best way she could: she gave her a shoulder to cry on and a body to anchor herself to. Many tears and rants later, Tsunade was feeling better, but she wasn't happy with Sakura.

"Sakura, I'm disappointed in you. Why didn't you fight back?" Demanded the Fifth angrily, while she dried her tears and got up off the ground. She looked down at her student and waited for her answer.

Sakura stood up and faced her teacher, "I mean no disrespect, Lady Tsunade, but it wouldn't have been a fair fight because your emotions were ruling your body. I could see the pattern in your fighting and figured you just needed to let out some steam, so I let you."

Tsunade knew her student was holding back a little bit for her sack, but she felt better than she had in months after that fight. With a smile on her face, she looked at Sakura, which caused the medic to step back in fear; that smile never meant anything good.

"Sakura, since you helped me in my time of need, why don't you take some time off from training and the hospital. Think of it as a thank you." Tsunade started to walk away from her opened mouthed student. When she was far enough away she turned her head and yelled, "report to the front gate at six in the morning for gate duty," and took off in a run. After about a minute of waiting the scream finally came that Tsunade knew would.

Sakura stood flabbergasted as her teacher took off in a run towards the Hokage tower. When the words she said finally registered, Sakura became angered. "Tsunade, that's not a vacation, that's pure torture!" yelled Sakura loudly. She knew her teacher could hear her, and probably over half the village had as well. Mumbling under her breath, Sakura picked up her senbon needles and kunai from the training ground and headed home. She had boredom to prepare for; not her way for having a vacation. _'Here I was thinking I could finally get some of that housework done that I've been meaning to. The dishes need to be washed, food needs to be bought, and the house looks like a natural disaster hit it. Oh well... I have the rest of the day to tackle the work. I just hope it doesn't take me with it,'_ thought Sakura as she walked to her apartment.

Stopping in front of the apartment door, she placed her hand on the door handle to let her chakra deactivate the genjutsu on the door, as well as its traps. She didn't wish to see her death and the rest of her friends be killed in front of her, or a new pincushion for her senbon needles. Once in the apartment, she locked the door and replaced her trap; any one that knew her knew to wait until she let them in to enter, unless they wanted a trip to the hospital.

She turned around to see the mess that she had been avoiding for the past month. Clothes littered the floor, piles of dishes were stacked in the sink, dust everywhere, scrolls tossed here and there; overall it was chaos. Taking a fast look, she decided to face the pile of dirty dishes first, and then start washing clothes. She was in for a LONG night. Five hours later, the house looked clean.... until the next tornado hit. She showered, ate, and went to sleep; she was tired and had a vacation to start.

Which brings us back here, where Sakura was bored out of her mind and the other guard was as talkative as a rock... wait, no, that was being polite. After finally counting the number of holes in the tower wall made by senbon needles, she added one more; 458,501. She had already sharpened her weapons, painted her nails black, and counted the numbers of hair on her head... plain and simple she was drop dead bored.

She was about to start counting the ants that were marching until she saw two cloaked figures walking towards the gate slowly. Looking to see if her partner had spotted the two, and saw that he had not, she got his attention; with a senbon in between his legs. "Hey Rambo, I'm going down to investigate. We have two coming that I don't recognize, so sound the alarm in case they're here to cause trouble." When the said ninja nodded, she jumped down and waited for the two silent travelers to stop before her to show her their passport and reason for visiting.

When the two ninja didn't provide their identification right away, Sakura stepped in front of them so they could go no further. "Travelers, I need your identification papers before I can let you step foot into the village. If you don't have any, then I'm sorry—I can't let you enter." spoke Sakura sternly.

When they made no move to remove any papers, Sakura felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Taking a step backwards, she pulled her sword from her belt and took a defensive stance. She knew to trust her gut feeling and it was telling her to be on guard. The taller of the two travelers moved one of his arms and from the traveling clock sleeve; she saw a hand giving her some folded papers. Not being able to see under the hood, and since she couldn't feel any chakra, meant they were very skilled.

Being careful, she reached her hand and swiftly grabbed the papers from the offered hand. Sakura unfolded the papers and read them, causing her body to go rigid.

Rambo, seeing his partners' body go rigid, jumped down from the top of the wall and took out his long swords to stand by her.

"Is everything alright, Lady Sakura?" Rambo looked at the two travelers and he couldn't see anything different from the other travelers he'd seen today, come through. But, he wasn't the superior one here, Lady Sakura was, and if she was being cautious, then he had better be.

Sakura didn't like the writing that was written on the papers in her hands. Bringing her complete attention up to the two travelers, she nodded her head. Before they could take a step forward they each had a sword at their throats. "Rambo, take leave and watch the gates. I will accompany our two travelers to the Hokage, since they are here on important business with only her. They are new here, and will get lost, so keep watch until I return," ordered Sakura. Rambo nodded his head and took his leave after returning his swords to his back. When Rambo wasn't there anymore, Sakura spook softly so that only the two would hear her. "If you are who you say you are; then show me the pride of the sight."

The two travelers nodded their heads to the guard and raised their heads so she could see their eyes. Sakura was looking into a twin pair of sharingan, the only survivor of the Uchiha massacre and the clan's killer, Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha. With the information confirmed from the paper, Sakura watched as their eyes returned back to their normal onyx color. Sakura returned both of her swords to her hip's sheath and performed a jutsu that both would be familiar with. When their shadows were locked with hers, she took off into the direction of the Hokage tower.

On the way there, people wanted to talk to her, but when they saw her face, they knew to wait until later; she was on business if the two following her were any indication. When they reached the tower and finally reached the Hokage's door, she knocked. The door opened and Shizune poked her head out.

"Can I help you, Sakura? The Hokage is very busy at the moment with some council members, so could you come back later?" pleaded Shizune as she looked behind her to see the Hokage about to hit one of the members. She turned her head back around when she didn't hear an answer and saw that Sakura wasn't smiling like usual; she was dead serious. Shizune looked around Sakura's shoulders when she felt eyes on her and came face to face with two mysterious people. Looking back at Sakura, she asked, "Sakura, what's the matter, and who are they?"

"Shizune, tell the council to get off their asses and get the hell out. Lady Hokage has an important S-class meeting with some VERY important people today. It's about that mission that came in yesterday about providing protection for a well known clan," spoke Sakura softly. She knew Shizune would get the hint and do as she asked. She watched as Shizune's eyes went wide and shut the door to do as Sakura asked.

There were loud voices coming from behind the door; many voicing their displeasure at getting kicked out. When the door finally opened again, but this time all the way, she could see that everyone was gone, except the two. Walking into the room, she heard the door shut behind her and knew she was performing the privacy jutsu; they didn't need this information getting out right now. When she felt the jutsu finish sealing the room she bowed to the Hokage and the two followed her movements. "Sorry, for my intrusion Lady Hokage, but I felt this was the utmost importance," Sakura handed the papers to the Hokage and as she started to read finished with, "may I present to you... Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha." The Hokage didn't even finish reading when she heard the names of the two missing S-class ninjas. Sakura canceled the jutsu and the two removed their hoods to reveal the two Uchiha brothers.

'_Well, at least my day isn't so boring now,'_ thought Sakura as she listened to Sasuke give his report on his activities. She was in for a long day.

*~*End of Flashback*~*

Shaking her head at the memory, she turned her attention to the Third. It was time for him to learn where the course of history started to shift: towards the destruction of the village. "After the two removed their hoods, they told us everything that they had been up to. They had been killing the rest of the Akatsuki members secretly. The only ones they didn't get were Pain and Tobi, who we learned from Itachi, was really Madara Uchiha; the creator of the organization. Itachi told us that just before Sasuke struck the killing blow, he showed him the real reason he killed the clan. Within the Tsukuyomi, Itachi showed him that his own father wanted him killed because he wasn't progressing fast or far enough to be of use to the family. Itachi had just gotten back from a mission when he heard his own father was plotting the murder of his other son. Itachi wasn't happy, but knew that even with him being in anbu, he wouldn't have been able to beat everyone in the family. He needed to protect his brother, no matter the cost; even if it cost him his life. Itachi stumbled across a scroll in the family shrine that told of the ultimate form of the sharingan, the mangekyou sharingan. So he obtained it, by killing his other best friend, Shisui; he would never hurt his little brother if he could help it. After that, you know what happened, but now Sasuke saw the argument that sparked the massacre. Itachi wanted Sasuke to live a life that he never got as a child and told the father that he would do more missions and train harder, only if he let Sasuke live. The father refused, and the mother did nothing to help his eldest son, just told him to do as her husband said. They were the first to go and he murdered everyone else so they wouldn't kill his brother. We also found out that they were starting to get a little power hungry and wanted to take over leadership of the village. Itachi joined the Akatsuki and that leads up to when they came home. Any questions so far?" Sakura watched as the Third's eyes went to a secret drawer in his desk, which only the Hokage would know about.

The Third couldn't help but have his eyes go right to the drawer that held a document for Hokage eyes only. Looking back up at Sakura, he nodded his head. "I have a feeling the village didn't take this well?"

"No they didn't, but when she stated that the two had been working on a super S-rank mission for you and her, they let it drop. It took people a while to accept them back, but it did eventually happen. They were to secretly be watched by me, since I knew what had really happened, and report back to her my findings, which weren't much. Sasuke had spared his brother on a whim, remembering what he had once told him, 'I will do anything, even if it makes you hate me. I even might be an obstacle you must overcome to become stronger.' He staged his brother's death, so he could learn the whole truth about his family. It wasn't long after they were back that we were attacked again, but this time by a revived Orochimaru. It started a war that soon led to the dark future, and the rest of the Akatsuki joined him to bring us down. We later found out how Orochimaru was revived, so I hope we can stop that before it happens. The boys had only been home for almost a year when the village was attacked by the combined forces of the three and their armies. Lady Hokage died that day. It's a date I wish to forget but can't since it was the day of my birth. Naruto took over the position and married Hinata soon after. She was severely wounded on a mission, and didn't survive, but she did give me a gift; the gift of her sight," spoke Sakura as she waited for the Third's reaction, and she wasn't disappointed.

"WHAT! She gave you willingly the byakugan, but it can only be handled by a Hyuuga! How can you use it?! Wouldn't the clan elders protest?" Demanded the Third as he got up from the desk and started to pace the room frantically.

"Well, since Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi were the only living Hyuuga at the time, Neji didn't object since it was her wish, and Hanabi had no use for it. The rest of the family had been killed in the attack that killed Lady Hokage. Neji and Hinata had become really close later on, after he got a tune up from Naruto. She wanted me to have the gift to help us win in this chaotic war. I was able to use it because, being a medic, I was able to adapt them to my eyes somehow. It also helped that I was their personal medic, because they trusted no one else to look at their eyes. It took me a while to get use to them and bring them forward, so I could use them in battle. With Neji training me in the Gentle Fist style of fighting, I became stronger. When we weren't training, we were learning from each other. The living members of the Konoha ninjas and Itachi took to teaching each other their signature jutsu, and it didn't matter what clan anyone was from. It seemed that it was only the members that everyone was close to."

"As time passed the death toll went higher, and we lost more ground. Sasuke also gave me a gift, and it was after his battle with Pein that he and his brother won that he too would give me his eyes. He figured that with me having the byakugan, I would be able to bring the two bloodlines together to work, as they should have long ago. So I repeated the same procedure that I did with Hinata, so I now have both eyes. Sasuke felt that since he couldn't ever give me his love, he could give me something of far more value from him. Itachi started to train me in the use of my eyes in return for restoring his sight to him and it was also his brother's last wish. Being a medic, there wouldn't be any damage to my eyes, like there was to his. It would be almost a year later that Itachi would finally take down Madara and end the Uchiha line. As the years passed, more people died and we lost even more of the village to Sound," said Sakura as she gathered her thoughts to finally finish the tale. She couldn't wait for this night to end.

The Third knew that she must have been nearing her end, because her body was starting to slump in the chair and her eyes held sadness and longing. Taking his seat again, he asked a question that had been bugging him. "Did Itachi tell you everything?"

"Yes he did, but just those he REALLY trusted, and I was one of the few. But, to continue since I'm almost done; it was a year and a half after Tsunade's death that Naruto was killed. Kabuto/Orochimaru killed him in Hokage tower, and we would lose the rest of the village to Sound. Before Naruto died, he appointed me as his replacement, so I became Hokage of the remaining ninja. We wouldn't defeat the last members of Sound until almost two years later after Naruto died. With me being the only one standing beside Akamaru, I went back to the Hokage Mountain and I was given another chance in this world by the past Hokage. My task is simple: live in a world I wasn't born in and make sure that history doesn't repeat itself. So... here I am," said Sakura as she stood up and stretched her back, getting rid of the kinks in her spine. She decided it was time for him to see the real her. Canceling the transformation jutsu, she took in his reaction.

When the body of Jada disappeared, there was a woman he knew he would have remembered if he ever met her. She was young, fit and had the most unique pink hair, and emerald eyes. She was wearing the standard medic apron and shoes that his student was famous for. She wasn't overly tall, but she processed a strength he wished that Jada had had. Overall she was a beautiful woman; she knew what she could do in battle, because her eyes showed she was older, beyond most of his elite.

"Lady Sakura, if I may ask, you never did say what rank you were before you became Hokage? If I might be so bold, may I see the combination of the two in your eyes, then each one separately to see them in a person non-related to the clan. You, my dear, are a medical marvel, but I guess you were taught by the best and learned on your own. Your eyes are truly a gift given through love, but your eyes also betray what hell you've been through." The Third walked around the desk and hugged the woman who started to cry and clung to him in an uncharacteristic display of weakness. She would have to relive everything and hope to change it.

Sakura was glad that he was there to hold her as she finally released her emotions. When she finally got her feelings under control, she stepped out of his embrace and activated her eyes. Forcing the needed chakra for both eyes to the forefront of her retina was easy; it just took a moment to have them together and looking back at the Third. Her once emerald eyes were now deep red, with the three commas spinning slowly, and she rotated them into the ultimate sharingan, the Mangekyou, and back again. Her eyes looked like she just possessed the sharingan, but looking closer, he could see the veins on the side of the eyes and her eyes had a slight silver look to them, under the red. When she felt he had seen them enough, she changed her eyes back to normal.

Then she showed him each bloodline, separately, until he told her he had seen enough, and brought them back to emerald. "To answer you question, I was...." She raised the sleeve of her right arm to proudly show her tattoo, "...anbu."

For the remainder of the of the night she told him a more in depth report on what happened to lead her there after her battle with Kabuto and Naruto's death. He told her that he didn't know why he trusted her, but something told him to, so he would follow his instincts. He also asked her to display chakra control, at which she very lightly punched the wall, causing the wall to crack slightly. It was decided that Sakura would meet back in the office around noon to meet her new teammates. They just needed to work out the bugs in her story, but it would get done. They still had time before the sunrise.

Sakura couldn't wait to see everyone again, but mainly Naruto, and this time as herself. After they finished working her story out, she deactivated the confidentiality jutsu and disappeared in a flurry of petals. She reappeared in the alley near her home, changed into her younger self and walked into the complex. She couldn't wait to get to sleep, but she was just too excited about the meeting later and couldn't sleep. She knew she would need it since she would have to prove she was worth being on their team. Darn it, she needed to get to sleep, she knew she was in for a LONG day ahead of her.

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Reviewers- **Thanks SOOOOO much Itachiswife, TeenageCrisis, Miss Chocolat (one of my new beta readers) and tcl7189. You guys and women have been so nice and have reviewed. This chapter is for you!!!!!!!

**Authors Note 2:**

Ok, I have a feeling that this chapter might have opened more questions than answers, but just wait and all will be answered. This chapter was one of the hardest to write because the dog I was talking about earlier, died. She wasn't eating or drinking anything for a while, but it still doesn't stop the ache. Dedication goes out to my friend, my sister Sakura and Cherry BlossomUchiha for letting me vent to them when I needed it. So here is a recommend that has Sakura's favorite snake in it. I'm not fond of snakes, but this story caught my interest…somehow ^_^''.

Recommend Read-of-the-week  
Sakura/Orochimaru  
Rendezvous by Miss Artemis  
**Summary-** She could run as far and as long as she wanted, but in the end...he'll always have her… LEMON!


	7. A Path Already Walked gets Revisited

_**Chapter 7- A Path Already Walked gets Revisited**_

Sakura woke up that morning at about 9 o'clock, feeling irritated at the mere three hours of sleep she had gotten. She had survived on less, but more was certainly preferred. Going about her normal routine of getting ready in the morning, Sakura decided that getting a fast bite to eat would help jump start her day. Sakura looked around her fully stocked kitchen, but couldn't think of what to cook—until it occurred to her that she could kill two birds with one kunai by just going to Ichiraku. Naruto and the rest of the team would undoubtedly be there, so she could get acquainted with them and in the meantime, get some food.

Besides, she had a couple of hours to kill until she had to meet the Hokage again. Stopping in front to the mirror one last time to check to see if everything was ready, she was happy to see she looked almost like her twelve year-old self before the exams, except she donned her two and a half year outfit. She knew her younger form held no real curves, so she did allow some of her older selves attributes to come forth. The only difference was that her headband was over her forehead and Gaara's headband was around her arm; she wouldn't part with some of her gifts. She also wore some bandages that were wrapped from her wrist to her fingers on both arms: she didn't want people to get suspicious about the markings. Leaving the apartment, she headed towards the ramen stand that Naruto frequented.

On the way to the Ichiraku stand, she caught a few people pointing and looking at her, but she just ignored them until she reached her destination. Moving the flap out of the way, Sakura stepped in and spotted Naruto eating away on his third bowl and she had to smile to herself. She took a seat near Naruto, but yet not so close to bring attention right to herself—she wanted him to come to her.

Ayame came and took her order of ramen; Sakura turned around to watch as the people outside went about their business with smiles and cheer. They were so different from the people she was used to seeing, and she hoped they would never have to change. She watched as a little girl pulled her little brother though the crowd with flowers in their hands, probably for their mother.

When her order arrived, she turned around and thanked both Ayame and Teuchi. Digging into her food, she wondered what would happen when she met the rest of Team 7, and hoped it wasn't a disaster. Not paying attention to her surroundings, Sakura was startled by something, and fell off her chair. Mumbling under her breath, Sakura was about to hit the idiot that scared her until she saw orange.

"Sorry about that, I didn't recognize you and wanted to introduce myself since one day, I'm gonna be Hokage. The name's Naruto Uzumaki, what's yours?," asked Naruto as he helped the stranger up and scratched behind his head. He had been asking for her name for about a minute and when she didn't answer, he tapped her on the shoulder. That caused her to fall off her chair and begin promising death threats to him. She really was beautiful and she seemed to be a kunoichi from the leaf, but he had never seen her hair color before.

"That's ok, I should have been paying attention to my surroundings, but I wasn't, so I'm just glad you weren't an assassin! My name is Sakura Haruno, and I'm currently in the presence of royalty, if you're the future Hokage," said Sakura as she stuck her hand. At that, Naruto took the offered hand.

"Nice to meet you, but I haven't seen you around here before. I think I would recognize your hair color since it's so different it stands out. I mean I think I would remember meeting you before. "

"You might want to watch yourself Naruto, I just might hit you for a comment like that. It's not my fault that I got pink hair from my mother's side of the family. But, if you make one comment about the forehead, I WILL hit you," threatened Sakura. She turned around to see that she had already finished her meal and so she paid for it, and headed outside. She wasn't alone for long until Naruto joined her.

Naruto followed Sakura out after he paid for his meal. He wanted to get to know this Sakura better, since she seemed like a nice person, must better than his other teammate, Jada. It didn't take Naruto long to see that she also had a sand headband wrapped around her arm, like Shikamaru. _'Now I'm confused, I was thinking she was a leaf kunoichi, but yet she also is wearing another country's headband.'_ Thought Naruto, but when he came up with no ideas he just decided to ask. "So what country are you actually from? You wear both our headband as well as Sand's. What's going on?"

Sakura kept on walking as she answered his question. "Well, I'm from the Leaf village, but for a short time I lived in the Sand village, and lost a dear friend. So I was given his headband by his siblings....he died protecting me when I was severely injured. So I wear it as a reminder to always watch out for my teammate, even if it means my life. I will not let another one of my comrades die," said Sakura as her fists clenched and her body shook, but she didn't stop walking. Feeling that Naruto had stopped walking, she stopped and turned around to see that his face was white. Knowing what was wrong, but acting innocent, Sakura walked up to him and felt his forehead. "You don't seem to be coming down with a fever, so why so white? Was it something that I said?" queried Sakura as she cocked her head to the side.

'_How did she know what Kakashi told us in the Land of Waves? Maybe it's nothing, maybe she just thinks the same way he does, since she too has lost someone dear to her,'_ thought Naruto as he felt the color return to his face. "It's nothing, Sakura. Just the comment that you said about not letting a comrade die reminded me about a past mission of mine. My sensei said the same thing to our team." Naruto started to walk in the direction that they were headed and felt Sakura join him.

'_Now's my chance.'_ "I hope no one got hurt on your mission. I mean, every mission we go on could be our last," said Sakura. She remembered that mission well; it was the first time that she had seen death and so much blood. Blood and death no longer bothered her if she was the one killing, but if it was one of her friends that were killed, she suffered.

"I don't know what it feels like to lose someone close to me since I just became a genin a while ago. I'm sorry that you had to lose someone close to you," said Naruto. He really did feel bad for her since the only one he lost was Haku, and he wasn't even a comrade. That didn't mean that his words didn't mean anything to him, since they always seemed to ring in his ears_, 'Is there someone precious to you? Someone to protect?'_ He would live by those words, and protect those that were precious to him. "Hey Sakura, what are you doing in the village?" Asked Naruto as he walked beside her with his hands behind his head. Maybe if she was staying in the village for a while he could get to know her better, and maybe become friends since he didn't have many.

"Well, after my friend died, I decided to leave the Sand village and journey around for a while. It was during my travels that I heard about my mother's passing, that I decided to return home to bury her. My home is here now, since this is the place of my birth. But, I'm also here to visit the Hokage, and maybe get assigned to a team. I met with him last night, and he told me to come back tomorrow and he would discuss things with me more carefully. But, I don't have to be there until later, so what do you want to do?" Asked Sakura as she turned her head to await Naruto's answer.

'_Maybe she has a meeting with the old man before we do? Or maybe after, because it can't be during since it's for Team 7 members only. Gah, I'm going to be around Jada again, oh boy,'_ thought Naruto with a dark cloud forming above his head. He didn't want to be near Jada. Even after her change in the Forest of Death, he couldn't stand her. "Well, since I don't have to meet with the old man until later, how about you and I spar, if that's ok with you?" Naruto figured he might as well get some training in since today was shot.

Sakura hadn't been expecting that, but it would help build the bond between the two. "Sure, why not. It will help me see where I am, level-wise with other ninja from this village." So Naruto led Sakura in the direction for the training ground for Team 7. When they saw that no one was there to watch them or get in the way, both of them smiled. Sakura had to smile; she hoped Naruto wouldn't mind going all out. "Hey Naruto, do you mind if we go all out and pull out most of the stops? Just no killing, but first blood wins, and best out of three." Sakura started to put her gloves on over her hands; she wouldn't be using her other weapons in this match, but maybe later.

Naruto had to smile, no one ever wanted to go all out in a match with him before. _'Hhmmm, the best out of three, this could be fun,'_ though Naruto as he nodded his head to answer Sakura's question. He wondered what he could learn from her, since she was a traveler, she must have seen many jutsu and picked up a couple of things. Naruto took his starting position in front of her and waited for when she was ready.

Sakura made sure that her gloves were on tight and that she wouldn't be tempted to use Sasuke's weapon summons. That wouldn't be good for a genin to know yet. Once she was done, she looked up, nodded and smiled. She was going to enjoy this. At that, she disappeared.

Naruto looked around, trying to find out where she went to, but couldn't find out where she had disappeared. He couldn't feel her chakra anywhere, and started to wonder if he had been set up. Starting to feel angry, he was surprised when the scenery surrounding him started to change. Gone was the training ground, and he now stood in front of a giant tree that was growing. As he watched the tree grow, he started to realize that he was caught in a genjutsu. Canceling out the low level genjutsu, he found himself standing in the same spot; Sakura hadn't left her spot in front of him. He was about to attack her until he felt something run down his cheek.

He reached up to wipe it.... it was blood, his blood. Jerking his head up, he saw that Sakura had a smile on her face as she held up one finger. She had won the first round, but he planned to win the others. She seemed to be taking the sparring serious, so he would too.

Sakura had smiled when he had canceled the genjutsu she had placed on him. She had been hoping it would work, and when it did, she threw a kunai that cut his check. This genjutsu was a favorite of hers, even if it was a low level one, because by the time her victims noticed, they would already be dead.

The genjutsu numbs the body and shuts off all signals to the brain for pain, and once it's canceled, the pain receptors get overloaded. But, she wasn't here to do that to Naruto... No, she was here to show him her skill.

Naruto started them off this time. Naruto ran at her and preformed his signature move; ten clones appeared and surrounded her. With the real Naruto mixed with the others, she would never find the real him. He took out a kunai. This caused the other clones to mimic his moves, and ran at her from all angles. Sakura quickly took out a kunai and started to defend herself from the oncoming attacks. Bending her body back, she avoided the first two blows that would have cut her face and neck and kicked them away from her. They puffed away, but the ones that were now above her went to attack until she stood on her hands, wrapped her long legs around one Naruto clone, and threw him into another clone.

Sakura, using her upper body strength, pushed off the ground and was in the air above the remaining clones. Sakura put her hand by her mouth and did the fireball jutsu at the remaining clones. When she didn't feel Naruto below her, she tuned around just in time to get kicked to the ground with Naruto's variation of Lion's Barrage. When she hit the ground, she rolled back into a standing stance to face a smirking Naruto. Sakura had to smile, it was a clever move he pulled and she still had to fend off his darn clones. The real Naruto had been in the trees above her, waiting to attack her. Wiping the blood from her split lip, Sakura spoke, "Smart Naruto, I didn't even realize you weren't on the ground until it was too late. Round 2 goes to you. What do you say we stop warming up and take it up to the next level? I say winner takes all, and loser treats the winner to dinner. I think you've seen some of what I can do, why not see what I can really do?"

Naruto had to admit that he was having a little fun, but he didn't want to hurt her. She looked too small to do really any damage to a person, but she had a smirk that promised pain if you underestimated her. His first round of sparring proved that. "You know what, I think you're right, I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're a girl. I want to see what you've got. I hope you got money, because I'm going to win, believe it!" Naruto fisted his hand and shook it out, and then took his stance again and waited for her to nod.

Sakura couldn't help but smirk; he hadn't seen what she could do yet, but she still had to stay within the level range at least a genin was. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time, not since she was 16 and training with her friends. Sakura nodded her head and started to run at him, with chakra surrounding her right hand. When she was close enough, she hit the ground with her fist.

Naruto hadn't excepted her to hit the ground, until the said ground started to crumble and shatter, causing him to land on his butt in shock. He hadn't seen anyone ever do that before, and when he noticed Sakura's fist about an inch from his face, he moved out of the way. _'I'm in trouble.' _Again the earth shook and shattered more. Naruto got up quickly just as Sakura hit him with a chakra kick to the stomach, propelling him into a couple of trees.

*~*~*~* In another part of the training ground*~*~*~*

Sasuke and Kakashi were doing some training since they weren't expected to attend the meeting until noon. Kakashi was in the process of building Sasuke's speed up for the Chidori, so he was pushing him in their taijutsu battle. He was just about to hit Sasuke in the ribs, when the ground shook, causing both to slightly stumble. Kakashi didn't know what to make of the sudden boom and crash noises that came from the entrance of Team 7 training ground. Shrugging his shoulders to dismiss it, they continued on with their battle from where they had gotten sidetracked. When the ground shook again within a couple seconds, he was beginning to think it was an earthquake, but they never had one before. A couple of trees were falling down in the distance. When nothing happened for a couple of minutes he just blew it off and instructed Sasuke to put more power into his jab.

Sasuke didn't like having to be inside the village while he was training for the chuunin exams, because anyone could be spying on them, just like that Sand creep did. Sasuke wanted what they were doing to be a surprise until he used it in the match. Then maybe with this power he could finally kill his brother and avenge the family's death. Doing as Kakashi instructed, he started to put more force into the jab, as he mocked a Chidori hit at his sensei's stomach.

Training continued without interruptions until the ground shook violently, and knocked Sasuke on his butt. Kakashi grabbed on to a tree to help sturdy himself. As he turned around he caught sight of one of the larger boulder formations in the distance as it started to move and collapse. Not liking what was taking place in the distance, he took of in the direction of the noise and the formation.

Sasuke didn't like that his training was being put on hold, but even he had to admit silently that he was curious. Taking off after Kakashi, Sasuke caught up to his teacher and headed in the direction of all the disturbances. Sasuke was looking forward to seeing what might have caused the ground to shake and a formation to start collapsing. Since they were really close it didn't take them long to reach the front of the grounds. When both of them arrived on the scene they couldn't believe what they saw in front of them. It was impossible, but they were watching it with their own eyes.

*~*~*~* Back with Sakura and Naruto's battle*~*~*~*

After going though about two trees Naruto pushed off the ground and looked up as Sakura was just finishing the hand signs for her jutsu. She opened her mouth and a bunch of senbon needles came out at him. He dodged the needles barely as a couple of them torn through his jacket. _'Boy, she is taking this seriously. I think I better stop fooling around if I want her to buy me that ramen. She doesn't fight like any kunoichi I have seen before, especially not Jada. GAHHH,'_ thought Naruto as he dodged another round of needles being spit at him.

When Naruto dodged the second round of poison needles spit at him she was starting to get mad, because he wasn't trying to hit her. "Naruto, you idiot! Take me seriously in this match, because if you can't, then you will never be respected or become Hokage. Somewhere down the line, some of your enemy ninjas are going to be female. If you can't even try hitting a friend in a spar, who has given you permission, then how do you expect to get stronger?!" yelled Sakura angrily. She needed Naruto to step up his game, especially because his match with Neji was going to push him. Sakura, not waiting for a response, ran at him again, but this time didn't have chakra around her fist.

Naruto stood in shock at what Sakura was saying—because she was right. If he couldn't handle facing a kunoichi in battle, he could die, and of course, more than anything, he wanted respect. Naruto caught Sakura's fist in his hand, and when she raised her other hand he caught it too. "Sakura, I hope you won't kill me if I hurt you to badly," said Naruto as a clone came out of the broken earth under him and hit Sakura under the chin.

'_Damn that hurts!'_ thought Sakura as she was hit into the air, but Naruto wasn't done, as she blocked his foot that almost hit her in the face. Once Sakura landed on the ground she drew her kunai to block Naruto's attacks. He was finally taking her seriously, and she was having fun. Naruto managed to get a couple of cuts on her arms, but they were nothing too serious, she would heal them later, as well as her bruised jaw. Seeing an opening Sakura took it and hit him in the stomach, just as he kicked her in the chest. Both of them were thrown backwards, Sakura towards a tree and Naruto into a large bolder formation. _'Ouch that hurt, he sure put a lot of power into that kick. It think that's going to bruise, just a little.'_

As soon as Sakura blocked his kunai, he had to come up with something else. She kept blocking ever hit he tried to get in, except a couple that grazed her arm. As she drew her fist back, he noticed that he had left his stomach open to an attack. Instead of blocking it, he took the small opening that was given to him, and kicked her in the chest. When both attacks hit, he felt the air leave his lungs and blood in his mouth. As he hit the base of the bolder, he tried to get as much air in his lungs as he could; she really knocked it out of him.

Sakura hit the tree with her back, and could feel her shirt start to absorb some of the blood from the cuts on her back. Getting up, she spit out the blood in her mouth and wiped her lips on her glove. Sakura, not letting Naruto rest, ran at him again and created two copies of herself. Naruto looked back and forth, but couldn't tell the difference, just like Ino couldn't. Each one had chakra encircling their hands, but only one was the real her.

Naruto stood up and brought his hands up to block each attack, but when the first one disappeared just as it was about to hit him, the smoke momentarily blinded him. From the smoke came two fists aimed for his shoulders. At the last moment, he pushed the fists to the sides of him, hitting the boulder. The boulder behind him started to shake and started to collapse behind him. He was shocked that she managed to put that much of a dent in the mountain, but Sakura still didn't give him time to take it all in.

Sakura and her clone hit the wall at the same time since Naruto pushed both of their arms a little to the sides of this shoulders. _'Darn it, I really thought that was going to work, but I guess I shouldn't be at all surprised. He always seems to find a way to weasel his way out of any mess he finds himself in.'_ Sakura's clone disappeared and she tried to hit Naruto, but he again was dodging her hits and she kept hitting the ground. She was starting to get mad, but after him dodging for about five minutes, he just stopped and was looking at her. Not stopping her assault she completed her hand signs and spit more needles at him, but when he raised his hand not paying attention anymore to the battle. Sakura jumped into the air and spit more needles, but it wasn't to hit him, but to stop the previous needles from hitting him.

Naruto was dodging her hits and was about to make some shadow clones when he noticed Sasuke and Kakashi watching the battle. Taking his eyes of his opponent he raised his hand and waved. When he heard Kakashi tell him to get down, he turned around just as he saw the needles inches from his face. There was no time to dodge until more needles from above hit the oncoming needles, forcing them down into the ground. The needles just barely missed his feet, and he was about to tell Sakura thanks until the said girl knocked him on the head, hard.

Sakura wasn't mad; no, she was furious at the idiot. He could have gotten himself killed, just because he had to wave at someone. In a battle it took just a moment to get killed, or seriously hurt. She stomped over to where Naruto was and knocked him on the head rather hard, where he kissed the ground. After Sakura knocked Naruto down, she turned to see what Naruto had been waving at, and took a step back. There in the clearing of some trees was Sasuke and Kakashi. _'Crap! I didn't want them to see that,'_ thought Sakura as she started to walk away from Naruto.

Kakashi and Sasuke came out of the trees and started to walk towards their unconscious teammate and the girl. The two never had seen the girl around before, but she seemed to know Naruto well. They both took in the surroundings of the training grounds.

Sasuke stood in shock. _'A girl like her has that much strength? She's too small and fragile-looking to possess that much skill and strength.'_ It had to be a one-time thing. There was no way she could do that again. She just looked too weak…. too much like Jada. Sasuke assumed she would just get in the way constantly.

Kakashi was amazed that someone else would be able to use the inhuman strength that Tsunade used, but she still seem to be developing it. Since it still seemed to be uncontrollable, unlike Tsunade's. _'She is a skilled kunoichi, but not skilled enough to keep pace with these two. She will only bring them down,' _thought Kakashi as he started to walk leisurely towards the two, with Sasuke behind him.

As the two approached Sasuke got a better look at the girl that was sparring with his teammate, and even he had to admit she looked okay; silently of course. He didn't want another fan girl running around him all the time. For a fleeing moment onyx eyes locked with emerald, then it was gone. Upon her face was a scowl and she was now glaring at him, after a moment she turned her head away from him with her nose in the air.

When Sakura's eyes locked with Sasuke's for a moment, she knew what he was thinking. _'For…get…. it bub! NO. WAY. IN. HELL. I'm not who you're used to,' _thought Sakura as she scowled at him and turned her head away from him. She wasn't going to be one of those girls that hung on his every word-- well, at least not this time around._ 'I just know what was running through that thick head o f his, 'She's too weak. All she'll do is be in the way.' Bastard doesn't even know me and already is judging me. I can't wait to prove him wrong.' _From the corner of her eye, she saw that Sasuke had a surprised look in his eyes. _'Good, I like keeping you on your toes.' _

Kakashi was shocked to say the least when the girl just turned her head away from looking at Sasuke. Normally girls would be head over heels for him and madly in love. _'Maybe she could be different than what Sasuke is used to. She might be the only one to catch his interests. Even if she isn't trying to,'_ thought Kakashi as he finally stopped in front of the pair.

While all this was going on, Naruto was working his way out of being unconscious. When he finally woke up, he was wondering why there were people in his room, especially a girl. _'Wait, why am I kissing dirt? Hmmmm….Oh, I remember. Sakura hit me on the head, and damn it that hurts!'_ Naruto pulled himself out of the small human shaped crater and looked at the surrounding people all looking at him. Placing his hand behind his head, he smiled sheepishly when he faced Sakura.

The small group watched as Naruto pulled himself out of the dirt. Once he finally dusted his clothes off, he tuned around to face Sakura. "Hey you guys! Sorry Sakura, I was just happy to see the rest of my team. The baka over there is Sasuke Uchiha and the one with his nose in his book is our teacher, Kakashi Hatake." spoke Naruto to Sakura. When she nodded her head towards the two, she saw what must have been a light turning on in Naruto's head. "Wait, what are you doing here?" Asked Naruto with his trademark grin on his face.

When the two were close enough to the pair they stopped walking. Sasuke looked at his teammate with a scowl on his face, "You idiot, did you forget that we have a meeting with the Hokage in a couple of minutes?! You really are a knucklehead." Sasuke at times was ashamed to call him a teammate, but when it counted he always covered his back and visa versa.

"WWHHHHHAAAAATTTTTTT!!! It's almost noon," yelled Sakura as she turned her head up to see that indeed the sun's position said it was almost noon. Sakura took off towards the inner part of the town, leaving a trail of dust behind her and three bewildered people. When Sakura was far enough away from the three, she headed towards her apartment to get cleaned up fast, before she had to meet with the Hokage. Once she got cleaned up, she took of towards the tower, if she hurried fast enough she would get there in time. When she arrived at the tower, she questioned if she should take the stairs or use the window, but being pressed for time like she was, she decided the window would be better. Adding chakra to her legs, she jumped onto the window's ledge and arrived just as Team 7 made their entrance.

After the girl had left, Team 7 decided that it would be a good time to head towards the tower. Sasuke and Kakashi asked Naruto about the girl that he sparred with and all they could get out of him was that she was amazing, she was nice and most of all... she was strong. They asked about the detail of the spar, but Naruto wasn't answering because all he kept saying was she sure could hit hard.

When they arrived at the tower, they headed up the stairs and the two started to bicker and Kakashi had his nose in his book. Once they got to the door, the secretary let them in. Once in the office, the team stood in front of the Hokage's desk. The Hokage was looking out the window towards the town and the mountain.

The Third heard the arrival of Team 7, and saw Sakura arrive just before them on the window's ledge. It was time to get the meeting under way. Nodding towards Sakura, he saw her step into the shadows and watch. Turning around to face Team 7, he saw that Naruto and Sasuke were having a glaring contest, and neither planned to stop any time soon. Clearing his throat, he got the two's attention and their teacher's and started the meeting.

"I called you three here today because I have something important to tell you. Jada Tomoe is resigning from Team 7 and I have already found a replacement for her. She is a good friend of mine that will fit you team's dynamic well. Maybe she might even keep you two in line." He waited for their response and he wasn't disappointed, he just wished he wasn't deaf now.

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!! you have to be kidding. Jada's quitting and we get another teammate. Who is it? Who, who, who?!" bellowed an excited Naruto. Naruto could believe it, but the Hokage would never say something unless he meant it. Naruto was about to start his questions again, when Kakashi interrupted him.

"If what you say is true, then I would have to retest my team to see if she is compatible with Team 7. I will not have a teammate who will drag them down. But, I would like to meet this replacement and test them, with my current team." Kakashi said all of this from behind his orange book, never once looking up. If he had, he would have seen the Hokage smile.

The Hokage felt Sakura's chakra spike slightly, but she didn't attack her new teacher. When no one else said anything, he felt it was time to introduce them to one another and see what would happen. "Kakashi, I feel you will test her any way, even if I say that she is more than qualified. She has been away from the village for a while, traveling around and has decided to come back home. I will allow you just today to test her. Then, you must get back to your training for the Chuunin exams. I will extend your time limits as much as I can, but I can not promise anything. Now I will introduce you to your new teammate. Please come out of the shadows, my dear," asked the Third as he extended his hand out towards her.

Sakura wasn't happy with Kakashi's speech, but she would prove to him that she wasn't a handicap. Taking the offered hand, Sakura stepped out of the shadows into the light, where the rest of the team could see her. When she stood in front of the group, she didn't have time to say anything because she was engulfed in a hug from Naruto.

When the Hokage held his hand out for a person to grab, Kakashi thought he was losing it, until he saw a gloved hand emerging from the shadows. _'I didn't even feel her presence, so she must have at least some skill in stealth.' _When the girl emerged completely from the shadows, he was slightly flabbergasted and looked on in amazement as Naruto hugged her_. 'Well, at least I now know that she does have some skill, but how much? And can she work as part of a team? We will see.'_ He looked over at Sasuke and saw that he didn't even seem to care about their new member.

When Sakura stepped out of the shadows, Naruto was ecstatic. Finally, they would have a teammate who could fight, and wouldn't care if she got a little dirt in her nails. She had proved that in the training ground. _'I just hope that she can pass whatever test Kakashi has planned. She has to!'_ He let go of Sakura and stepped back to join his teammates. He truly was happy for the first time since he got his headband. _'I have only known her for a short time, but I feel I've known her since school and feel I can trust her with my life.'_

Sakura bowed to both Kakashi and Sasuke. When she finally met their eyes again, she found that they both held looks of distaste and distrust. She knew it was going to be hard to win them over, but she had to somehow. "Hi, my name is Sakura Haruno and my current rank is genin. I have an apt for genjutsu and I'm also studying to learn the ways of a medical ninja. My goal in life is to protect those that are precious to me since life can be cut short. Let's see…hmm…,"Sakura placed her fingers by her lips and tapped them. After a moment the thought came to her, and she snapped her fingers, and continued, "That's right, I forgot I needed to tell you what I dislike. That's easy enough. What I hate are bastards who are sick-minded freaks. Ok, I think I covered everything, right Kakashi?"

Kakashi looked at his replacement student who was wearing an innocent smile on her face. He wanted to question her further, but he did not have the time if he was to test her abilities with the teams. He still needed to get to training with Sasuke and teach him Chidori for his match. He would try and take the Hokage's word that she was talented, but that was to be seen. Turning around, he headed towards the door and spoke as he walked out the door. "If you will excuse us Lord Hokage, we have a training exercise to get to and training to complete for the chuunin exams. We will meet at the same training grounds as this morning and take your exam there. You three had better be there in ten minutes or there will be consequences. See ya!" And he puffed out of the doorway.

The other two members of the team took off towards the training grounds as Sakura stood standing next to the Hokage. It would take even at a fast a run fifteen minutes to reach the grounds and ten or less if you took the short cut. "I will see you later Lord Hokage and wish me luck," said Sakura as she took off through the window. She had a short cut to meet up with again and not be late. She always could just puff there like Kakashi did, but then that would show she was above genin level. _'Damn, this is going to suck!'_

As the Third watched the girl leave through his window, he watched as she ran and jumped from the rooftops. _'You will not need luck, Sakura. I believe you will make an impression upon them and they will come to respect you.'_ When he could not longer see her, he sat back down at his desk and got to work on the stack of paperwork.

While the two male members of Team 7 raced to get to the grounds in time, Sakura found the short cut and took it. It was a short cut they had stumbled upon when they were beginning their infiltration of the city from the training grounds. Since the ground was covered with a special metal, no chakra could get out nor destroy it. Finally reaching the end of the tunnel, Sakura poked her head out to see that she was first to arrive after Kakashi. He was above standing by the memorial stone waiting for them and paying his respects to his former teammates and teacher. When she was finally out, she moved to jump into the branches of the tree and watch for her tardy teammates.

Sasuke and Naruto pushed themselves to reach the ground before the time was up, but it would be close. Seeing the grounds coming into view they both pushed more chakra into their legs. When they finally reached the grounds and were gasping for breath, they waited for their teacher to acknowledge them and replacement to arrive. When their teacher finally turned around, he faced them, and the replacement still hadn't shown up.

Sakura noticed that they still hadn't sensed her and were waiting. After five minutes she finally decided to make her presence known. Taking a senbon needle out of her pouch she flicked it towards Kakashi's back. He would see it, if not, well he had better learn to be careful around her and pointy things. She tended to get really rather sadistic with them, thanks to Anko. Of course, she would never actually hurt them. As the needle approached its target, she waited for him to catch it. As it was about to hit his neck, his unoccupied hand caught it inches from hitting. With a smile on her face she jumped down from the branch and landed silently.

As the three were waiting for Sakura, Kakashi felt that something wasn't right. There was a near-silent fwash noise of a senbon needle. Feeling where it was headed, he shot his hand over his shoulders and barely caught the needle. That's when he heard movement behind them and he turned around to face Sakura, who was wearing a grin on her face. _'I'll give her a little credit there, she is silent, but I wonder how long she has been here.'_ "So you have finally arrived, but you are late. What do you have to say in your defense?"

Sakura couldn't help but let her grin get wider as laughter danced in her eyes. Placing her hands on her waist she decided to answer his question. "Well Kakashi, I've been here for a while now, and I beat both Sasuke and Naruto. I believe I arrived shortly after you did because you were still standing in front of the memorial stone. I didn't want to disturb you, so I just waited for the other two up in that tree. When they did arrive, I was just curious if they would see me since I was in clear view for them to spot me. But, when that did not happen I figured I would get your attention, which I did. And to let you know, if you hadn't caught the needle all it would have done was knock you out, until I removed it."

Two stood in shock while the other ran up and hugged his teammate. Naruto couldn't wait for her to join his team; she was smart, strong, and didn't fall all over Sasuke. She was prefect and he hoped she would be his friend. When Naruto set her down, he turned to look at the other Team 7 members and smiled. They didn't know what to make of her since she seemed to take being a kunoichi rather seriously.

When Sakura was finally set back down on the ground, she stood next to Naruto and waited for the two to come out of their daze. She was still a little taller than Naruto, but when he got older, he would tower over her, but she would enjoy it while it lasted. Since Kakashi was the first to come out of this daze, he started to explain that this test would he different than the one they had earlier. _'So he is using the same test he used in the future to test Naruto and I, but the only difference is Sasuke is here. It's going to be an all out battle against him to get those three bells. But, those two are not familiar with my style of fighting and knowing them, they will just try and get a bell for themselves. Maybe Naruto will try and help me, but since I am the medic here, I stay out of the fight but help where I can. I think I'm going to like this test and maybe throw Kakashi off balance a little. OH THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!'_ By this point Sakura was rubbing her hands together and was all smiles; she couldn't wait to begin.

After Kakashi explained what they would be doing for the test he watched as the two understood what he wanted. He watched as the new recruit was all smiles and she seemed to be ready for anything, but was she really? He was ready to test her the most since she was the one he knew so little about in abilities. As he clipped the three bells to his pocket, he watched as each took their stance. Right before he told them go, he saw Sakura ruffle Naruto's hair and wish him luck.

Naruto was shocked when Sakura ruffled his hair like a sibling would do to another. He smiled at her and wished her luck in the test as well. H would talk to her more later and he would try and keep an eye on her if he could. When Kakashi finally gave them the ok, he watched as all of them disappeared. He would stand his ground just like he did the last time, but not get the thousands years of death; if he could help it.

Sakura jumped into the trees, watching as Naruto and Kakashi went at it again. _'I know that he will go after the two to see if I am the weak link, just like Jada was. But, I've got news for him, I know all his tricks so he had better be on HIS toes. But, I had better get to work,'_ thought Sakura as she disappeared into the shadows and appeared at the bottom of the tree base. She had to get close enough to protect Naruto, but not close enough to get caught. Taking off in a sprint towards the battle, she arrived and hid under some bushes to watch the battle. When Kakashi was about to get Naruto in the back with a couple of kunais he threw, she quickly threw her senbon needles to stop them. Seeing that he was found her location, she took of in another direction and hoped he wouldn't find her. Even though she was a little further from the battle she still could see fine to assist Naruto.

Kakashi watched, as the kunais he threw were about to hit Naruto in the back. He still wasn't progressing fast enough to be on the same level with Sasuke and probably never would be. He watched as Naruto was getting up from the ground and saw the kunais, but wouldn't have been able to stop them. But, he didn't have to because from the right bushes, senbon needles knocked the kunais off course and into the tree near Naruto. Taking off in the direction of the needles, he followed her. It was time to see if she was as good as she claimed to be at genjutsu. He watched as she stopped and could still see a clear view of where Naruto was in the clearing. With her not knowing he was behind her, he mentally gave her an F in abilities.

When Sakura couldn't find Kakashi where Naruto was, she started to worry. Could he have already moved to attack Sasuke—no, she would have known by now if he had. Getting the sudden feeling that she wasn't alone, she turned around just as Kakashi completed the hand signs for a jutsu. When she started to feel strange she wiped her eyes and her vision cleared. In front of her was her friends and family enjoying themselves, before their deaths. She walked over to join them and touched Kiba's shoulder. Under her fingers she felt something move from within Kiba's clothes. Moving her hand she saw that her hand was covered in blood and burnt flesh, and her hand had been on the moving maggots. They were feasting on his dead flesh. She looked up from her hands and watched in horror as each one of her friends died in the same brutal way. She watched as they started to walk towards her chanting 'traitor' and pointing their bloody fingers at her. Covering her ears she screamed. She felt the tears come and she allowed them to flow and when she couldn't seem to block the voices out she could no longer take it and passed out.

Kakashi watched as she screamed bloody murder and tried to cover her ear to block out the voices. He didn't know what she had seen to cause such a sound, but it couldn't have been more than a pet dying. When she passed out she had tears rolling down her eyes and was shaking like a leaf. He didn't care; if she couldn't handle or cancel that simple jutsu then she wasn't worthy of being on his team or any team for that matter. He took off to find Sasuke; he was the one he wanted to test the most to see how far he had come.

When he took off through the tree, he landed on a branch and went to push off, when it shattered. As he landed on the ground he was suddenly engaged in battle with not just Sasuke, but Naruto as well. So, they were taking what he said about teamwork seriously this time around.

The two-on-one battle continued for a while until Sasuke activated his sharingan. Stopping his battle for a moment he tried to figure out where his teacher was really hiding. Not finding him, Sasuke started to get worried, until the ground under both their feet shook, causing both to fall backwards on their butts. Sasuke looked around and found the object of the quake; Sakura had just punched the ground causing it to splinter open. When the two finally got their footing, they both stood up. They had heard the scream and wondered what had caused it, but it mustn't have been too bad for her to be there right now.

Sakura watched from the shadows as the pair fought their teacher, and noticed that it was a shadow clone. Well she looked up, left, right and when she didn't find him she knew where he was. Putting chakra into her hand, she hit and ground and watched it crack. Sakura walked out of the shadows and headed over towards the two as she approached where most of the damage had been done. From within the fragments of earth, she could make out a bewildered Kakashi looking back at her. With a hand on her waist she spoke, "I found you Kakashi. That wasn't very nice of you. You were about to pull both my teammates underground. I've been following your movements since you left me in the clearing after what you did. I must say, that was brutal of you. I hope you don't mind if I return the favor do you?" And as she had started her last sentence she had started her hand signs. Just as she finished the last hand sign she placed her hand by her mouth and blew the fire from her lungs towards Kakashi.

Kakashi jumped out of the crater and into the air avoiding the fire. He watched as the girl on the ground smiled. He didn't have much time to react when she disappeared in a puff of smoke and he was turned around to face a smirking Sakura. He was never given anytime to react, as he was slammed into the ground, hard.

Sakura watched as he jumped to avoid the fire and smirked. _'Well, hope you don't take this too hard, Kakashi.'_ With that thought the shadow clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. From above Kakashi she watched as her clone disappeared and that was her queue to finish her plan. Coming from above Kakashi she turned him over to face her direction. She loved the look on his face, but she would relish it later. She slammed her leg into his middle section hard, with only a minute amount of chakra, towards the earth. What had done the most damage as she landed her hit was the heel of her foot. Her shoes were another weapon she liked to use whenever she preformed Lion's Barrage, since they added a little more damage to her victim ribs.

The three watched as Kakashi hit the ground hard. They heard some bones break and crack and watched as he coughed up blood. Naruto was amazed that she could pull that move off so easily and she had scored a direct hit. Naruto knew how much her hits could hurt, but damn, whatever Kakashi had done to her really pissed her off. At this point, he was glad they were on the same side. He was about to congratulate her when he saw Sasuke's shoulders tense and he walked towards her.

Sakura watched as Kakashi tried to get out of the human crater he had made, and decided to help him. Sakura felt better after she had done it, but knew that she might have gone a little over the top, but now he knew she wasn't a child to mess with. She walked over to him and pulled him out of the hole and was about to heal him some. But her shoulder was grabbed coldly and she was turned around to face a furious Sasuke.

Sasuke was not happy, no, more like he was down right smolderingly mad. _'How dare she use my move! Who does she think she is, and how did she learn it? I WILL get answers.'_ When he finally reached her, he grabbed her shoulder and turned her around to face him. "Where did you learn that technique?" Demand Sasuke, and he wasn't going to let her go until she answered him.

"Well, for your information Sasuke, I was at the Chuunin Exams so I got to see you use it. Besides, didn't you copy it from Rock Lee and change it to make it your own? Just so you know, I already knew that move before you did it in the exams. I hope that answers your questions, now let go of my shoulder before I make you. And trust me, you don't want me to do that," spoke Sakura harshly as she looked Sasuke in the eyes and glared. He didn't remove his hand from her shoulder soon; he was going to get it.

Sasuke looked Sakura up and down and he still wasn't impressed. Ok, so she took Kakashi down in one hit and cracked open the earth with her fist, but she was still weak. "Not like you can do much since you are a weak little female," said Sasuke as he squeezed her shoulder hard one last time. Just as he removed his hand, her hand shot out and attacked his cheek.

Sakura was NOT happy with Sasuke at this moment, if anything she was down right pissed. _'How DARE he! Me weak?! Ya right, more like I could break every bone in your body, heal you and do it all over again. Well, since I can't do that, I know the purr-fect payback.' _When Sasuke squeezed her shoulder hard enough to leave a bruise she struck. Her hand shot out and slapped his face; hard enough that his head was jerked to the other side. When he finally turned his face towards her again she saw the sharingan was active, and smirked.

Sasuke was about to make a comment, when he was suddenly pulled under the ground. _'Wait, I remember this jutsu. It's the headhunter jutsu that Kakashi used on me last time. Where did she learn this technique I wonder.'_ When the dust finally settled he looked up to see two Sakuras. She had gotten him with a clone and now he was stuck in the ground.

The two Sakuras had to laugh and high-fived each other. It brought some interesting memories of the last time that had happened. Last time she had passed out seeing only Sasuke's head. Nodding to her clone, she disappeared into a puff of smoke. When Sakura finally took in all that her clone had gone through with Kakashi's genjutsu, she started to get mad all over again. _'I was only taking a guess when I heard her scream. I figured it was something bad, but that was beyond what I expected. Okay Kakashi, this time around you're an ass, well at least he will know not to do that again; I hope.' _Sakura walked over towards the still captive Sasuke and placed a bell in front of his face. She then walked over towards Naruto and gave him his bell. When she placed her in her pocket she turned around and walked towards the wounded teacher.

Since Kakashi was never helped out of the hole be watched as the scene unfolded in front of him. He no longer could deny that she was skilled and she knew about teamwork, even if she did go about it differently then he would have imagined. One thing he knew for sure, she was very skilled in chakra control. When Sakura walked over towards him, she helped him out of the hole and sat next to him. Everyone watched in fascination as she started to heal some of his wounds.

Sakura knelt down next to him and started to heal him, but not all the way. She still needed to make it look like she was a beginner in the arts of healing. When she got most of the surface wounds mostly healed she stopped. "Sorry about that, but you did deserve that, especially after what you put my clone through. I'll admit I might have gone a little over the top, but it could have been worse. Sorry that I could not heal more, but it would be a good idea to stop by the hospital before you leave. I know I broke and cracked a couple of ribs, so they will need to heal you," said Sakura as she stood back up to see that Naruto had helped Sasuke get out of the ground. When she saw them walking towards her she remembered she needed to tell Kakashi something. "Hey Kakashi, since each one of us got a bell, does that mean that were a team now?" Sakura was all smiles when she turned to look at him and had the other two standing by her side. All three held a bell in their hands.

Kakashi looked on as each member held a bell; so they had passed, but when had they gotten one? It took Kakashi a moment to figure it out, but now it made sense what she had done. _'The Sakura I attacked with the genjutsu was a clone, but I have yet to figure out where she was during this. She must have been watching their backs to protect them from afar. When she turned me around she must have grabbed them then. She's smart, I'll give her that. She knows how to use the shadow clone without even a thought. Maybe she won't hold them back as much as I thought she would. I would hate to see what she could do later when she finally grows up. She will be a force to be reckoned with.'_ Kakashi got up from the ground and looked at each of his students. He was proud to call her one of his students. "You all pass, and Sakura; welcome to Team 7." The words were out of his mouth more than a second and he was being hugged.

When Kakashi spoke those words to them Sakura was so happy. She had completed another one of her goals, now all she had to do was make sure everything else went as planned. Sakura was so happy she so acted before she really thought her actions through and hugged Kakashi. He didn't hug her back, but he did pat her on her shoulder and head. Looking up to face him, while still hugging him she told him what was on her mind, "Thank you Kakashi, I will make you proud." She let him go and faced the other members of Team 7. Naruto was beaming a hundred watt smile while Sasuke wore a neutral expression. But, his eyes gave him away, he was silently pleased; for that she was glad. Naruto suggested they all head back to the village and let the Hokage know what the verdict was.

On the way back Sasuke silently watched Sakura as she joked around with Naruto. He would never admit it out loud, but she was a lot better then Jada by far. _'Even though I said she was weak, she is a lot stronger then the girls I've known. One thing is for sure, she is feisty.'_ Where no one would notice, he smiled, a very tiny smile. He followed the others as they all walked into the village. After getting so far into the village he was attacked by Ino as they walked by a restaurant her team always frequently ate at.

The group stopped as Sasuke tried to pry Ino off of him, with no luck, but she was being quite clingy. Sakura finally took pity on her new teammate and tapped Ino on the shoulder to get her attention. When they didn't work, she smirked and decided to resort to a name she knew would get her attention. "Excuse me Miss Ino Pig, but could you please let go of my teammate before you suffocate him." When she saw that Ino's body went stiff she knew she had hit the nerve where she wanted.

Ino saw Sasuke walking by the window and had to jump him. Jada finally wasn't around to bother her, she so could finally show him how she felt for him. When she clung to him she was tapped on the shoulder, but she just ignored it, savoring her time with the hottie. But, when she was all of a sudden got called a pig, she turned around ready to pick a fight with the girl. When she finally turned around she came face to face with a girl she had never seen before. She was beautiful and she seemed to process a strength that others lacked in her stance. Ino let go of Sasuke and stood in front of her, extending her hand. "Name's Ino Yamanaka, and what's yours? And why the hell did you call me Ino pig, you billboard brow," demanded Ino angrily as she screamed the name into Sakura's face..

Sakura looked as Ino got mad at her nickname, but she couldn't be mad at her for calling her that nickname. All she could do was laugh at the name; it was like old times, just a little different. It was nice to finally be called billboard brow again, since it did bring up some fond memories of their past together. When Sakura finally stopped laughing she had a couple people looking at her strangely. She covered her mouth to stop her giggles from escaping_. 'It's kind of nice to relax a little and remember some of the good times.'_ "I'm sorry about that Ino, but you reminded me of a good friend of mine who use to call me that all the time. Her and I were the best of friends, but also the best of rivals. She never wanted to be in my shadow, just like I didn't want in hers. My name is Sakura Haruno and I'm Team 7's new teammate since Jada is resigning from being a ninja." Said Sakura as she shook Ino's hand, and smiled at her.

Ino was shocked as she learned about Jada resigning, but since when? Ino wasn't going to complain though, because that girl was just too damn annoying to be around. She took one last look at Sakura and had to say she was nice. _'I don't know what's about her, but I feel like I want to get to know her better and maybe become friends. I'm surprised she didn't get mad at me calling her that name, but if she said a friend use to call her that, then maybe I can too.'_ Ino smiled and turned around to face the rest of her teammates and teacher who were all staring at the cherry haired girl. "Sakura, I would like to introduce you to my teammates. This is Chouji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, and this other guy is our teacher Asuma Sarutobi and we are known as squad 10." As she said the names she pointed to each member of her team, and each one said their hellos.

Asuma looked at the girl in front of him, and it took him a while to place where he had seen her. She was the same one from the academy training grounds, but she was younger and looked different. He was about to say something about her, when Sakura interrupted him.

Sakura saw the acknowledgment in his eyes and knew he had figured out who she was. Well, it was bound to happen since there was only one girl in the village that had pink hair. Stepping up to Asuma she extended her hand waiting for him to acknowledge her friendship offered. "I have heard a lot about you, Asuma, from your father. He knows everything and said to tell you when I see you that if you have any questions you can ask him. Please accept my apologies for startling you."

Asuma looked at her hand and shook it; he would get his answers another time when there was no one around. Or, he could go to his father and demand answers, but that wouldn't work very well in his favor. _'I will just have to keep an eye on her when I can. I need to see if she is up to anything that will threaten the village. So she is a member of Team 7, I wonder what caused Jada to resign? I will have to look into this a little bit, but not now. Maybe after the exams.'_

With Asuma taken care of, Sakura turned her attention to Ino and getting a friendship started. After talking for a couple minutes they decided on meeting to get to know each other better. The rest of Team 7 headed back towards the tower to visit with the Hokage. When Sakura noticed that Kakashi was gripping his book a little tighter than normal she knew he was in pain. She stopped to face the group, "Hey, why don't you two take Kakashi to the hospital to get healed up? And make sure he stays there until they release him. I'll go tell the Hokage the news, besides I was wanting to stop in a shop and get something." When the boys nodded their heads, they took their very reluctant teacher to get healed.

After they were out of sight she turned around to face the shop she wanted to enter. She needed some more needles after using a lot of them and not retrieving them. _'Oh well, I wanted to get my sword sharpened anyway. It has been a couple of months since it was last cleaned and it might need its blade worked over again. Well, this shop in the future was the best, so I'm sticking with the best.'_ With that thought Sakura walked into the weapons shop and stopped in front of the desk. When no one came to help her she started to look around at some weapons she might consider purchasing. She did need to restock her scroll again, and it was always better to have it ready for anything. She was about to walk towards a display of custom design kunai when she heard hurried footsteps approaching her. From the back door, stepped TenTen carrying an armload of weapons. Seeing that she was about to lost some of the weapons Sakura stepped in and helped take some of the load from her tired arms.

TenTen was tired. She had been training with Neji for the last six hours and she was exhausted and she still had to work in the shop her grandfather owned. She was too busy to notice that there was someone at the front desk needing help and wouldn't have known anyone was there until later. When she came from the back she couldn't see over the pile of swords, lances and other weapons to see in front of her. She was about to lose the load, when half the weapons were taken out of her hands. She looked up to see a girl she had never seen before. She was about to protest that a customer was helping her, until the girl shook her head, stopping the words on her lips. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth she took the added help from a moment.

After she set them on the table so she could put them where they belonged, she watched as the girl followed her movement. Turning to face the customer finally and get a good look, she noticed that she was a kunoichi since she had the pouches tied to her leg. "Thanks for the help, and sorry I wasn't here earlier to help you, I was getting more supplies to put out. What can I do for you?"

"Well, if you don't mind, I would like your name. My name is Sakura Haruno and I am the new replacement for Jada in Team 7. And before you ask, she is resigning since being a kunoichi isn't what she thought it was. But, I came in the shop because I need a sword of mine worked on again to make it new again." Spoke Sakura as she held out her hand to TenTen. She didn't know that her luck would be smiling down on her, but she was not complaining.

"Oh, I am so sorry! I forgot to introduce myself since you look new around here. My name is TenTen Hawk. So Jada is finally quitting, but I guess it's about time since she was being nothing but a pain. So, your teacher is Kakashi Hatake, well that would make your group our rivals," said TenTen as she shook Sakura's offered hand.

"So, I have heard from a couple of sources, but I hope that doesn't make you want to hate me. I really am a nice person once you get to know me. I saw your fight with Temari of Sand and I have to say you did well, against a strong opponent. But, besides visiting with you, I need you to fix one of my weapons back to its glory. I do not have it with me, but I can bring it by later and have you start to work on it. I would love to visit with you longer, but I have other errands to run before I eat my dinner." Said Sakura as she started to head for the door.

TenTen nodded her head and told her that she would be here all night until they closed at six p.m. With those plans made, Sakura left and hoped she might be able to get to the tower and not run into anymore of her friends. She didn't know how much more she could take. When she was outside she decided to take the more direct approach to the office and took to the roofs.

When she finally reached the tower she ran up the stairs and asked the secretary if she could give the Hokage a message since he was busy. It was about four in the afternoon and that meant he was talking with the village councilors; and knowing those older people, they would be a while. When she finishing telling the message to the secretary, she left to get some food to eat or at least get the fresh vegetables for tonight's dinner. She got her fresh food and headed home so she could finally put something else in her stomach beside the ramen she had for breakfast.

On her way to her apartment she also saw Kiba walking with Hinata. She couldn't wait to visit with them again, but for now, she would wait. Once she got to her apartment she started making her dinner. She cut the fresh vegetables and started to steam them, while she started seasoning the meat. While the two items were cooking she started on the cream sauce; that would take the least amount of time to prepare. When the sauce was finally starting to cook, she boiled some water for her noodles. When everything was done cooking, she combined the drained noodles, meat and sauce together to mixed it. Once it was done she put a good serving on her plate and some steamed veggies and ate her meal.

While Sakura was eating she thought on all the progress she had made on making friends with the people here. Sakura had to smile remembering how the training/test had turned out for her and she had gained her team back. After she was done she washed her dishes, and changed her clothes. She wanted to get more training in, but this time with something that wouldn't be afraid to attack her. Changing her appearance back to her older self she changed her clothes back to her original outfit she had arrived in. Once she was done she disappeared and reappeared in the forest.

*~*In another part of town*~*

Temari couldn't stay still, it had only been one day since the match between Gaara and Rock Lee and he was already driving her nuts. She couldn't stand to be in the same room as him for more than a couple hours and she had been with him the whole day. His thirst for blood and death was almost too much to bare and she couldn't stand his stare. When Kankurou finally came back from sightseeing to watch their psychotic brother, she headed to the place she knew she could blow off some steam and not get seen.

When she finally got to the Forest of Death she slipped past the guard using her fan to fly above him. Once she was in the forest she ran to the center so she could maybe find some prey to kill. It took her a couple of hours to reach the center, but she noticed that she wasn't alone. Stopping on one of the trees branches where she could see the ninja fighting against some of the forest bugs. What caught her interest was the weapon in the girl's hand; it was a gigantic fan, just like hers, but the only difference was the design painted on it. She watched as the kunoichi finished off all of the attacking bugs and stood with her back towards her. Temari couldn't believe that she could use the fan without any problems and she looked like a natural using it. She decided she didn't want to face her and turned to leave.

Sakura continued to fight the bugs as they continued to hound her with their attacks. They really were simple-minded creatures, but once the Aburame clan controlled them then they became a valuable weapon to have. During her fight she felt the familiar chakra of an old friend approaching her. _'I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since she was the one who told me about this place in the first place.'_ It was an excellent place to work out and relieve a little stored up stress. When she felt her watcher just observing she decided to just let it go. When she was finally done she felt Temari about to leave and decided to stop her. When she turned around she saw her in the process of a jump and hollered at her. "Since you came all this way, why don't you stay a while, Sand kunoichi. I promise not to be in your way, but if it will make you feel better I'm willing to spar with you. It will give me a workout and I am guessing that this is what you are seeking coming into this forest late at night."

Temari stopped on the branch and turned to face the girl who was talking to her. What she saw made she step back slightly. The girl before her wore some interesting clothing, but that wasn't what caught her attention, it was her eyes. Her eyes weren't normal, they held pain; it wasn't ordinary pain in their depths but unseen. She had seen similar looks in Elder Chiyo's eyes, but not to this extent. While she eyes spoke volumes of what she had seen, she stood as if she didn't have a care in the world, and wore a smile. She jumped down from the tree and walked over towards the other female. Once she was a couple feet from her she stopped.

Sakura watched as Temari looked into her eyes and smiled inwardly. She could never hide secrets from Temari in the past, so she didn't really want to start now, but she would have to hold some of it back. So she allowed her eyes to reflect what her inner turmoil was. When Temari finally approached, her she smiled and knew she had accepted her proposal for a spar. She never could turn down a good fight. When she stopped she stated the rules. "This will be a friendly spar and since we both have fans, I say we use that as our primary weapon of choice and use another, if we see fit. The first to either draw blood or forces the other to call forfeit wins. Since it's so late, I say we spar for an hour and if neither one of us has won, it's a draw. Deal?" Sakura stuck her hand out for Temari to shack to approve of the terms and she wasn't disappointed when she grasped her hand hard and shook.

Temari approved of the rules and knew she would finally have some fun. Grasping her hand hard she wasn't surprised when she squeezed back. With the rules understood, they started their little game. Temari watched how as soon as their hands disconnected, the girl disappeared from in front of her, using her fan. _'She used the same move I did against that brat in the exams, but she's a lot faster. I might enjoy this match a lot more than I thought.'_ Looking around and not finding her target, she decided to get her attention another way. Pulling her fan out, she opened it all the way. With all moons showing, she lifting the fan and swung the fan in the general direction she would have gone. She didn't want to bring the anbu into the forest so the sharp blades of the wind just cut into the bark of the trees. When she didn't come out of the forest, she tried to pick up on her chakra signature, but she felt nothing. _'Where the hell could she be?'_ Thought Temari angrily.

From her perch on top of the tree above Temari, Sakura watched as she launched her first attack. She had to smile at her antics, too bad she knew all of Temari's moves inside and out, plus the ones she developed later. Deciding to make her entrance, she jumped off the branch and closed her fan. As she got closer, she brought the fan down to hit her in the back, but Temari must have sensed her attack because she was blocking her fan with her own fan.

Temari, feeling a shift in the wind around her, turned around to see the girl about to hit her in the back. She quickly brought her fan up to hold in both hands and barely blocked the blow. The girl was only using one arm to press down and it took both of hers to keep the fan up, but she was slowly losing ground. After a moment she came up with a plan to win the match and decided to execute it. Using the girl's momentum against her, Temari dropped her weapon to the ground and rolled to the side on her opponent. From the side she grabbed the end on the fan's handle and pulled.

Sakura applied some charka to her arm to try and bring Temari to her knees, but when she dropped her weapon and rolled Sakura jumped into the air. She knew that move and it wasn't a move used often since it could leave your back open to attack, but it left your opponent open as well. _'With the fan being on the ground she can swing it and knock my feet out from under me, but what I hate most is when it breaks the ankle bones. Hmm, what are you up to?' _Looking down she saw that Temari had grabbed the fan and swung it again at her. This time instead of blades of wind, it was sand. _'So, that's your game. Well, I think two can play at that game sister.' _Once the sand storm finally stopped Sakura stepped out from behind her shelter. "Nice, but don't might if I return the favor," yelled Sakura as she combined both attacks into one at Temari.

Temari jumped behind a tree and dodged the attack barely, but what she thought would be a simple sand attack as so turned into as the wind blades cutting everything. "Well, she's good. I have to give her that," said Temari softly as she poked her head from behind the tree to see where she was. Pulling her head back, she dodged the edge of the fan's blade inches from her face. Moving from her spot, she continued to block and dodge the fan's blade. _'Well there goes that plan.'_

The two continued on their game of cat and mouse with each other for the whole hour. It was at the last moment that each of them decided to pull the same movie. They performed it in such a way that if anyone had seen it, they would have thought it was a dance. Both blades were at each other's throat and each had a ribbon of blood falling from their necks. Both nodded their heads and stepped back from one another and placed their weapon in the respected places. It was Temari who broke the silence between them.

"I haven't seen a person wield a fan like you. I have to say you sure put up a fight. I never imagined it would be a tie. By the way, my name is Temari of the Desert. What's yours?" Asked Temari to the kunoichi standing in front of her.

"My name is Sakura Haruno and I have used a fan for the last five years. A good friend of mine taught me how to use it. Well Temari, it's getting late so you and I need to head home and get some sleep. So good night and hope to see you again, maybe later," said Sakura as she started to leave.

Temari was watching her leave when a flicker of light caught a piece of metal on her waist, tied to the belt. Gasping, she covered her mouth and saw that Sakura had stop walking and was now facing her with a smile. _'She has a sand headband, so could she know of our plans and came to tell someone? That means she knows of my brother, and..,'_ her thoughts were never finished.

"I see you saw the headband on my waist. Yes, I have been to the Sand Village before and I know of your brother and what he holds inside of him. It's sad, really, since he never really got to live a happy childhood, which made him who he is now. But, I guess in the long run it was a good time since his destiny is to change for the better." Said Sakura as she leaned against tree behind her and watched Temari's face.

Saying that Temari was shocked would be an understatement. "You mean to tell me that Gaara will change, but how?" She needed to know. She may not have shown it, but she did care for her brother, when he wasn't threatening to kill her.

"That's easy. He will be set straight with his battle against Naruto. I know that he will be fighting Sasuke Uchiha, but as you know that match will never finish." Said Sakura as she waited for Temari to respond to what she had just informed her of. Sakura wished she had family here, but she was alone until she could trust people with her secrets.

Temari took some steps back and gasped, the kunoichi knew of their plans, but how. "What…what do you mean?"

"Temari, please don't play dumb because I know you are anything but. I know because I have seen it, but it's not my place to interfere in the matter. I may be of the Leaf village, but to step in wouldn't allow the course of history to take place. I am telling you this because I know of your love for your brother, even when you try to hide it. If you want you brother to change for the better, then tell no one of our meeting and I will not kill you. You too hold an important part in the making of history. Oh, and Temari treasure the time you have with your brother, because life is short," said Sakura as she started to walk away from Temari with sadness lingering in her emerald depths. When she was far enough away she disappeared into the shadows.

Temari stood in shock as she watched Sakura leave, but she never once raised her weapon to her. _'If what she says is true, then the battle plans work and we take over leaf, but what did she mean by that Naruto kid? I guess I will have to see what happens, but I hope she is right,'_ thought Temari as she to disappeared and headed home. She would keep her silence for now and she if what she said was true. If so, she would seek her out later.

Sakura reappeared outside the Forest of Death, changed her appearance, and headed home, but decided to make a stop real fast. Taking the path to a road she knew all too well, which lead her to the bench. When she stood in front of it, she remembered that night for more than one reason. She started to feel the tears well up, but didn't allow them to fall; she had cried enough near this bench, she was here to chance things. _'Sasuke why you chose to die here, I will never truly know, but I guess it held a special bond to us. I wish you would have let me try to heal you that night, but I guess you were always a little stubborn.'_ Sakura sat on the bench and looked up at the stars. _'It was on a night just like this that you left me both times, but yet I still love the bench, the full moon and the stars. They tie me to you somehow, besides having your eyes.'_ After about thirty minutes Sakura turned her head towards the trees and bushes. "You might as well come out Sasuke, I felt your chakra a while ago. So, what do you need?"

Sasuke stepped out of the shadows and walked towards her to stand in front of her. He had been following her since she walked past the ramen stand. Kakashi had talked Naruto out of taking him to the hospital, after promising to take him for ramen. After he had promised Naruto he would, Naruto still took him since he had promised Sakura he would. But, Kakashi had still kept his word even after going to the hospital. When he had seen her walking by in a daze, he followed her. He didn't know what she was doing out here, but she was strange. _'She's not like the other girls I've been around. She doesn't try and get my attention, but she did somehow.'_ "What are you doing out here so late Sakura? Aren't you supposed to be home with your family?" Asked Sasuke with his hands in his pockets.

'_Well, that's the most I've heard out of his mouth in a while. Wait, is that a faint hint of concern laced within that question? I must be more tired than I thought.'_ Sakura looked up at Sasuke and smiled half way, which surprised him. "Well, I wanted to come out here and get some fresh air, and I have no family here. I live by myself in an apartment. But, now that you mention it, I had better get home, I do have a busy couple of days ahead of me. See you at the match.... and Sasuke? Good luck," said Sakura as she stood up and walked towards her home. When she was far enough away she turned her head towards him, "Oh and Sasuke, don't get too cocky. I don't want to give you a repeat performance from the training grounds. Bye!" Winked Sakura and with that last word she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke was about to ask her what she meant, but he never got the chance when she disappeared. "Hn," was all Sasuke said as he headed back towards the ramen stand to meet up with his teacher. _'Maybe this girl is worth a closer look,'_ thought Sasuke as a smile graced his mouth. He was going to have fun.

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Authors Note:**

**Everyone thanks for the reviewing and placing this story into your favorites and alert listing.** I also want to say that I'm going to be revising some of the chapters that have been posted for errors on realism. Also, some parts that I didn't think of before, but have been brought to my attention will get fixed or things added. I'll let you know.

Alright people, I know you might be asking about were this is going, but never fear it's getting there. Sakura has now caught Sasuke's interest and she didn't even want it, so what's she going to do now? Just wait and see! :D Things from here will start to pick up more and things will start to become clear and what I want to happen.

I have tried to keep everyone in character, but with Sakura being older and more experienced she has a tendency to have a little fun once in a while. Sakura is not always going to be this strong and you will see that later because time is catching up with her and so are her memories. She can't hide forever. She can only run and hide for so long from them, and besides she does have a role to play so people do not find out who she is, but people are bound to find out or get told. Wait and see!

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Refraction by Zelha  
**Summary-** AU! After Sasori's defeat, a powerful jutsu was handed to Sakura by Chiyo, swearing her to secrecy. Now, a few years later, Sakura has to bear with a mark that might change her life forever. Manga spoilers.


	8. A New Blossom and an Old Bud

**_Chapter 8- A New Blossom and an Old Bud_**

Sakura woke up early the next morning to get a start on her morning activities. She only had a month to get everything done, and that was not enough time to do everything and slack off too. She got out of bed and completed her morning routine, taking time to change her outfit and pull her hair into a high ponytail before leaving her apartment.

She decided to head towards Ichiraku to see if Naruto was there. As she approached the stand she spotted a large scroll hanging off the back of a person with long white hair. _'So the Mountain Sage has arrived to teach Naruto. I wonder if I should take a detour. You know what, I think that would be smart, because knowing Jiraiya he'll be a pervert.'_ Sakura swiftly turned on her heels to make a quick getaway, but it wasn't quick enough—she was spotted anyway.

Naruto was attempting to convince the old sage to train him, but unfortunately he wasn't getting anywhere with the old fart. Just as he was following the pervert out of the ramen stand, he caught sight of a flash of pink hair. _'Only one girl I know has pink hair,'_ thought Naruto as he ran past the sage to catch up with her.

Jiraiya was shocked when the brat stopped talking and ran past him. Curiosity got the best of him and he decided to follow him. When he rounded the corner he was glad he did follow the brat, because in front of him was raw beauty.

Naruto was hugging a girl with long, pink hair bound high on her head by a red silk ribbon. She possessed the body of a strong and incredibly agile kunoichi. On her forehead he saw that she also bore a crystal diamond just like his old teammate, Tsunade. She had her ears pierced and she wore two necklaces; one he couldn't see because it was hidden under her blouse and the other was a choker. The choker was made of black silk, which displayed a white quartz stone hanging that seemed to change colors with the light. She was wearing a white, corset type blouse that hugged her body all in the right places, and her skirt was black and went past her knees almost to her ankles with slits a little past the knee. Her shoes looked like Tsunade's, but they tied up to her knees with black material in a criss-cross pattern. In all, she was beautiful and he started to drool.

Sakura could feel eyes on her and she had to sigh; she knew that stare all too well. Turning around from her talk with Naruto, she saw the Toad Sannin. It was good to see him again, but really, did he have to be looking at her like that? "Naruto, is this the man you were telling me about that you want to train you?" queried Sakura as she gestured toward the drooling man.

Naruto nodded his head fiercely, showing his determination. He _needed_ to get stronger so he could beat that Neji guy for what he did to Hinata, but most of all, he wanted to keep up with Sasuke. "That's him, but he won't have anything to do with me. I've tried everything I can think of," whined Naruto sadly. This was is last chance to find himself a strong teacher.

Sakura didn't like seeing her close friend so sad, so she turned to face Jiraiya with her resolve to help Naruto strengthened even more. "Please, Master Jiraiya, you are the only one who could possibly teach Naruto what he needs to learn. After all, you are one of the legendary sannin from the leaf village. Give him one more chance to impress you, and if he succeeds, then promise me you will teach him. Deal?" Asked Sakura, who had her hand out towards the Toad Sage. Sakura had a feeling he would take the bet, since he was a lot like her teacher.

Jiraiya pondered what the kid might do to make him change his mind. After some internal deliberations he agreed, but added his own rule to the deal. "Under one condition, sweetheart: I take you on a date on the town. You seemed to have had a run-in with a friend of mind since you bare the jewel and the shoes she wears. I'd like to know how she's doing," said Jiraiya as Sakura nodded her consent. They shook hands. He saw her smile and watched as she turned to face the brat and whisper in his ear. When the kid got a huge smile on his face, he knew he had been had.

Naruto smiled as he listened to Sakura explain what he needed to do to get the man to teach him. "… so do you think you can do that? You'll have him eating right out of your hand. And since he promised, he won't go back on his word. So, go on and try it, because if it doesn't work, dinner at Ichiraku, on me." Sakura offered in a hushed voice. Sakura hoped it worked or she would have to pull out a trump card on the man and she wasn't ready for that yet.

Naruto didn't waste time and followed Sakura's suggestion. In a puff of smoke he was a she and standing naked in front of the old pervert. Instantly, the toad sannin had blood dribbling from his nose and his eyes were as wide as saucers. His mouth dragged on the ground in sheer awe.

Naruto watched as the pervert sat on the ground in front of him and started to draw; that's when he canceled the jutsu like Sakura had said.

Jiraiya couldn't believe the gorgeous woman in front of him: she had curves in all the right places and a perfect-ten body. He sat in front of the girl, forgetting it was Naruto, and started to draw her. He only managed to get the outline done, when she disappeared, leaving a slightly mad Naruto in her place. "Where did the beauty go?" Asked Jiraiya as he looked for her. Maybe she was playing hard to get. He allowed a perverted smile to grace his face thinking about what he would do once he captured her, he always did love it when they played hard to get.

"She didn't go anywhere, and for your information, that was my sexy jutsu. Now will you train me since I showed you that?" Asked an impatient Naruto.

Jiraiya looked on, blushing and tapped his fingers together, "Only if you stay in that jutsu all the time." He may have learned that it was the brat, but damn it, that girl had a body to die for.

"No way, old man. Not going to happen!" Yelled Naruto. He knew if he did then training would never get done and he might be on the wrong end of those lecherous hands. Naruto shuttered just thinking about it, and vowed to not perform that jutsu again around the old man.

"Then I won't train you," said Jiraiya as he stood from the ground and started to walk away. He had research to complete and women to see.

Sakura watched as the sannin walked away from Naruto. This wasn't good, he NEEDED to train Naruto so he could beat Gaara. Sakura started to walk towards Jiraiya, "Lord Jiraiya, please reconsider. I know you will not be let down if you take him on as a student. It will only be for a month and after that if you do not like him, I will never bother you again."

Jiraiya stopped and turned around and looked at Sakura who had stopped walking. _'Why is she pushing so hard? I wonder…'_ "I might consider it, but only for a week at the most for now. He had better be worth it," said Jiraiya as he turned around and started to walk away. When he was far enough away he yelled for Naruto to follow him and get his butt into gear.

Sakura watched as the two left to train and she decided it was time to eat her breakfast before her stomach woke the dead, so she turned and went into the restaurant that she had intended on going into. She waited to be seated, and when she finally was, she asked for a table by a corner. There was only one table empty by a corner and four people took the corner booth beside it. Well, three people and one dog; and she watched as they looked over their menus. Sakura noticed that Akamaru was on Kiba's head and sleeping soundly. She smiled and turned to look for something to eat on her menu. Finding it, she placed her order and waited. For the first time she felt that everything was going smooth, she just needed to make sure that everything else followed.

Akamaru didn't know what that scent was that he was smelling, but it was very calming. He woke from his nap and looked around for the source, only to find it was coming from the girl beside their table. Akamaru lightly barked to get his master's attention. When he got it, he asked him if he was calm because of the new scent in the air.

Kiba didn't know why his familiar asked the question, so he took in a breath of air and now understood why he asked. The air, it was calm, and smelled just like cherry blossoms in bloom, and it was soothing. Finding the source wasn't hard because she was sitting right next to them. He turned around in his seat and looked at her. He knew he hadn't seen her before, because if he had, he would have remembered her. He turned around and was about to say something to his teammate when Akamaru jumped from his head onto the girls' lap, surprising her.

Sakura was waiting for her meal to arrive when she felt something land on her lap. Looking down, she was surprised to see Akamaru in her lap looking up at her. _'Now that's a surprise I didn't see coming. I guess you were right Akamaru, you would be drawn to me.'_ Sakura picked him up and started to pet him behind his ear. "Aren't you a cute little thing, but you seem to be a ninja's familiar, so in battle you are anything but cute. Isn't that right little guy?" Said Sakura as she got licked on the face after she rubbed her nose against his. Akamaru just wouldn't hold still in her arms and she laughed.

Team 8 watched as Akamaru licked the mysterious girl's face. Whoever she was, she wasn't afraid of dogs, but seemed to welcome them. Kiba turned around in his chair and called to Akamaru to come back and leave the girl alone so she could eat, but he didn't listen.

"No, he's fine. I don't mind because he reminds me of a friend I lost. Is he yours?" Asked Sakura as she finally got Akamaru settled down and was finally calmed down. She turned around to face team 8.

"Ya, he's mine. Sorry about that, I don't know what got into him. If you're wondering, his name's Akamaru." Said Kiba as he took in the girl's attire. Whoever she was, she had one hell of a body and had muscle. _'She has to be a ninja, I just know it.'_ He watched as his familiar fell back asleep in her lap. Kiba was shocked. "I don't know what ability you have but he never sleeps in anyone's arms except mine and sometimes Hinata's."

Sakura giggled as she heard the question and answered, "I had a friend who had a familiar just like yours. I don't know what caused it, but for some reason his familiar would seek me out when he was agitated. His owner said it was my presence and," she blushed, "my scent. After he was killed, his familiar took to me before he too was killed a year later," said Sakura as she lowered her voice to not wake her sleeping friend. Looking up from her lap she faced team 8. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name's Sakura Haruno and I'm kind of the new teammate of team 7. Jada Tomoe, I was told, is resigning from being a ninja, and the Third asked if I would be interested in being in a team. So, here I am, now a member of team 7, and I find it funny since I just got into town just a couple of days ago."

Shino watched Sakura as she told her story and he was curious. His bugs told him that she wasn't telling the whole truth, but mostly she was. He would have to keep an eye of her.

"It's nice to meet you, Haruno-san. My…my name is Hinata Hyuuga, this is Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka and you met his familiar. We make up team…team 8," said Hinata who bowed her head and tapped her fingers together. She was nervous around this girl and didn't know why, but yet she felt protected. Hinata brought her face up and saw that Sakura was smiling at her, a true and genuine smile.

Sakura looked as Hinata's eyes locked with hers for a moment before she too smiled. _'Good, I want you to feel comfortable around me. I want you to be yourself because only then will you finally see who you can become.'_ "It's so nice to meet you all now. I watched your matches at the exams and I have to say, you guys are good. Good luck in your match Shino. I thought you were going to win Kiba, but I guess Naruto's drive to win was just a little stronger than yours. I'm just sorry you had to get taken out the way you did. Well Hinata, it's so nice to meet you. I have heard some great things about you from the Third." She really did mean what she said, just Hinata didn't have a lot of confidence to believe in herself.

Hinata was shocked hearing what Sakura said. _'But, what good have I done. I just hold the team back and the only thing I have going for me is my byakugan. I really wish…'_

"Hinata, I know what you're got to be thinking, but please stop. With time you will get better and stronger. You just need to believe in yourself and your abilities, and only then can you go forward in life. Never let anyone, even family or friends, tell you that you're weak because once you start to believe it, only then does it come true and you become weak. But, I don't want you to frown; I actually want to see you smile. If you don't mind but could I eat with you guys? I'd like to get to know you better, all of you since I have heard some great things about you," said Sakura as she smiled at all of them. When each one nodded their heads she stood up and sat next to Kiba since he had the only seat available.

Their meals came at the same time. They each ate their meal and chatted about life in the village and traded tales for their academy days.. She told them about her travels around from Wind, Wave, and now Fire Country. She told them of the friends she had made and lost in her travels. They asked about her skills and she told them what she had told Kakashi in the Hokage's office. Overall they all enjoyed their meal, even Shino slightly participated in the conversations. When Sakura left she promised she would watch them train. She told Hinata that if she ever wanted to seek her out to talk she was more than welcome to. "I never turn my back on my friends when they need me." The group parted and headed their own ways.

Sakura was all smiles after her visit with team eight. She looked down at the dog in her arms and smiled. Kiba asked her since Akamaru was comfortable with her if she could watch him for a couple of hours. She agreed without hesitation to the offer. She headed towards her next destination, the flower shop. She hoped she had gained more friends since she really did like to talk with team 8's members. They each had something her team did not.

Walking into the flower shop, she spotted Ino helping a customer and waited for her to finish. When Ino was finished she saw Sakura waiting by the door and told her parents she would be back in a couple of hours. "Hey girl. I did except to see you so fast. So, what do you want to do today?" Said Ino as she watched Sakura walk over to some flowers--lilies. Ino watched as she picked some and didn't even wake the bundle in her arms. When Sakura walked to the counter she placed some bills down to pay. Ino watched as her mother handed her the change, but she told her to keep it as a tip. Sakura turned to smile at her and they walked out of the store together.

Sakura wanted to go give the flowers in her hand for Rock Lee like she did last time. She would give him fresh ones daily until he was better. She wanted him to know that someone did care about him. It would be a while before his wife saw the light. Sakura looked at Ino. "I want to take Lee some flowers since he was hurt in the exams. Want to tag along? Then you and I can do a little shopping." Said Sakura as she headed towards the door with Ino hot on her heels. Ino agreed to the idea and on the way to the hospital she told Sakura some of the latest gossip around town. Sakura didn't really care for the gossip, but she was with her friend again, so beggars couldn't be choosey.

When they got to the hospital, they waited to be shown to Rock Lee's room. When they got there, Sakura wasn't surprised to see him out training like he was last time. She walked over to the vase and placed the flowers in it with some water. She watched as Rock Lee finally collapsed from his pain and exhaustion. A sad look crossed Sakura face as she gently handed a sleeping Akamaru to Ino, so she could help the medic. Once Rock Lee was back in bed, she wrote him a note, placed it where he could see it, and left with Ino. Outside the room Sakura took back a slowly waking Akamaru, who fell back to sleep once he was surrounded by the calming scent of lavender and chamomile.

When they were out of the hospital, Sakura lead Ino towards one of the clothing stores she knew Ino liked. They spent three hours in the shop, but it was mainly Ino trying clothes on since she already had gotten her shopping done earlier. Ino did talk her into getting a couple of things, but before she bought them she asked an awake Akamaru his opinion. Some of the ones he liked she kept, but others weren't her taste. She did get a couple of training outfits for later. After departing from Ino, who she promised she would meet with later in the week, she headed towards team 8's training ground to give Kiba back his familiar.

With the training grounds being about thirty minutes away and she was already an hour late, she decided on the fast route. "Hope you don't mind if we take to the roofs, since I'm already late, Akamaru?" Asked Sakura as she jumped onto the nearest rooftop. Making sure her purchases where secured on her back in a backpack, she took off in a run.

Akamaru, from Sakura's arms, looked down and watched as the village buildings passed by and then trees. He didn't know why he enjoyed her company today, but he knew he would seek her out if he felt restless. Just by her voice, he had come to the conclusion that it was her who had calmed him down during the Chuunin Exams. _'I just wonder where she learned that trick. Not even the Inuzuka's knew of a trick that could calm them down like she did to me. I hope she will allow Kiba and I to seek her out when we need to calm down,'_ thought Akamaru as Sakura started to descend from the trees. She stopped at the base of a tree, in the shadows and watched as Kiba and Kurenai attacked Shino.

Sakura watched as the two sparred against Shino in his training. She spotted Hinata by the punching pillars, and noticed that she was sad. No wanting to interrupt the training, she stayed in the shadows and appeared beside Hinata.

Hinata jumped when she felt something wet on her arm. Looking down she saw that it was Akamaru licking her arm. _'Wait a minute, wasn't he with--'_ thought Hinata as she turned around and saw that Sakura was standing beside her, smiling and watching the training. "Hello, Haruno-san. I hope you had a good time with Akamaru?" Asked Hinata as she turned to watch the training some more. _'Maybe I can learn something for a change.'_

Sakura took her eyes off the training and sat down next to the timid girl. "Ya, I had a lot of fun, but you know Hinata, you can call me Sakura. I know with you being the heir to the Hyuuga clan you need to talk all formal and all. I hope you will consider me a friend and around me you do not need to speak so formal," said Sakura as Akamaru got back in her lap to watch the training match. Sakura had to smile because Akamaru seemed to really like sleeping around her or on her lap. As long as he doesn't do that when his older; he would smother her with his weight and body.

Hinata looked at Sakura with wide eyes and smiled a true smile since being released from the hospital. _'She really wants to be my friend. It would be nice to have someone else I could talk to besides our teacher. She seems kind enough, and if the other two feel no threat then it should be ok.'_ "I would really like that, Sakura. I do not have many friends except my teammates."

"Well, you can count me on that short list now. Do you think sometime later in this week you would be able to come to my place for dinner? It would be my treat, and it's kind of a girl's night where we just relax. I promise it will just be dinner, some games and a movie. If you want to come that's great, but if you have other plans, that's fine," said Sakura as she started to watch the training again.

Hinata looked at Sakura in shock. _'She's actually inviting me to have fun at her place? I've never being invited to someone's house before to have dinner and just relax.'_ "That would be great. I have no plans so later this week, I should be able to come," said a now excited Hinata, who started to cough. She tried to stop the coughs but she couldn't, her chest started to hurt and her lungs her on fire.

Sakura jerked her head from the three when she heard Hinata start to cough. She saw a little blood run through her fingers covering her mouth and knew she needed to help her. "Hinata, I'm going to stop the inflammation in your lungs and stop the blood, but I need you to trust me." With Hinata nodding her head she got to work. Pushing her chakra into her lungs she calmed the inflammation and cleared up the pooled up blood in her lungs.

While all this was going on the three watched as Sakura healed Hinata of her cough. When Sakura finished she fell backwards in exhaustion, and Kiba caught her before she hit the ground. Shino caught Hinata as she fell backwards, but she was no longer coughing. Kurenai didn't know who this girl was, but for her to gain two of the hardest ninja on team eight, she must be good. _'Shino and Kiba do not trust people easily, especially around their female teammate. I wonder who she is because I have never seen her before now,'_ thought Kurenai. "Are you alright, Hinata?"

"I am fine. I actually feel better now that Sakura has healed me. Sorry that I worried everyone," said a sorrowful Hinata. She really felt she was a burden and this was just another piece of straw that would soon break the dogs back.

"Hinata, what did I tell you about your thinking and doubts? You may not realize it, but right now you have people surrounding you that care about your health and you. Don't be ashamed just because you showed a little weakness, everyone does at some point," said Sakura as she pushed her body away from Kiba's. She really disliked acting like this, but they couldn't know the trust, just not yet. Sakura composed herself before she stood up on slightly unsteady legs. Acting like a novice in the healing department was not something Sakura liked to do.

After finally reassuring Hinata that she was fine and didn't mind helping a friend when they needed it, she introduced herself to their teacher and told her the same story she did her team that morning. After wishing team eight a good day, she told Hinata that she would get a hold of her and give more on the details of the party later. Leaving the grounds she headed back to the village and her apartment to eat her left over dinner. She looked forward to the rest of the week.

During the rest of the week, she met with Hinata to finalize the rest of her plans for the party. She invited Ino, who couldn't wait to come party and have a girl's night. She invited TenTen after she met her at the market; she still needed to drop the sword off, it was just finding a minute. After convincing her that it was just a night to have some fun and unwind, the weapons mistress finally agreed. At the end of the week Sakura had gotten everything she needed to have the girls' night. They all arrived at the apartment at different times and waited for her to welcome them into the apartment. She had pre-warned them not to enter her apartment without her letting them in. The night started at six and went into the early morning hours; the girls ended up sleeping over since it was past three in the morning when everything finally wrapped up.

Sakura was the first to wake and so she fixed everyone breakfast. TenTen was the first to wake up of the three because she had a training session with Neji again in a couple of hours. The two of them talked until Hinata joined the two. The three of them ate since Ino wouldn't be joining the land of the living for a couple more hours. The two left after promising to continue the tradition of a girl's night every month. It wasn't until ten in the morning that Ino finally walked out of the room, still half asleep. Feeling an evil idea pop into her head, she put her plan into action when Ino sat at the table to eat her hot food. She went to take a sip from her coffee and spit it out.

Ino turned to look at a laughing Sakura who was holding her sides from laughing so hard. She had somehow switched her coffee for tea; she really disliked tea in the morning. It never really woke it up to face the day. "Ha ha, don't you think you're funny, billboard brow, " said a sarcastic Ino as she switched their cups back around. She took a big drink on her coffee and could already feel her body start to prepare for the day.

For the rest of the morning the two sat and just had fun talking and planning for the next night since they were going out to a movie. Once Ino finally left she cleaned the apartment and went out shopping again. She was a little sad that she didn't run into anyone she knew, but that was fine. Walking back to the apartment she started to feel eyes on her and looked in the direction they were coming from. Above her, staring out the window was Gaara of the Desert. Not missing a step she smiled up at him and walked away. As much as she wanted to talk to him, she valued her life and didn't wish to die just yet. Besides right now, even attempting to talk to him would mean pissing him off.

Gaara watched the people in the streets as they went about their everyday lives. He really wanted to kill them, but he had to wait until later. He stood up to leave, when pink caught his attention and looked down and caught sight of a female carrying groceries. He watched as she looked up at him and smiled at him. It wasn't a smile he was used to, so he was a little shocked when she nodded her head to him and walked away. Gaara turned away from the window and disappeared; he was going to visit someone.

Sakura arrived at the apartment and put her groceries away. Since it was still early, she decided to drop by the weapons shop and get her sword in, so it could be fixed. Walking into her closet she canceled the genjutsu she had put on it to hide her secrets, and walked to the large scroll. Rolling it on the floor, she bit her finger and smeared it on the scroll. Pushing the right amount of chakra into the scroll, she called forth the sword. It really was a one-of-a-kind sword.

The sword was given to her as a gift from one of her friends, before he died. Keeping the sword in its sheath, she tied it to her hip and left the apartment. Walking through the crowd, she made her way towards the shop.

When she arrived she walked in only to get walked into and fell to the ground. She hadn't seen who she had slammed into, but she knew his chakra signature anywhere. Looking up she saw the face of Team Gai's prodigy, Neji Hyuuga, and he wasn't happy. _'But he never really is, not until Naruto gets the stick out of his ass,'_ thought Sakura as she picked herself off the ground. Dusting her butt off, she faced the glare of the Hyuuga. "Did I do something wrong, because I don't believe I deserved that." Asked Sakura as she got out of the doorway, so she wouldn't be shoved out of the way. She didn't plan to kiss the ground again today.

"Hn! Because of you, TenTen was late to training and she is too tired to be of much help to me. You are nothing but a pathetic female, trying to blend in with those that are greater than you, " said Neji harshly. Neji took in the female's attire, and it was then that he noticed the sword at her waist. It was a beautiful sheath, made up of the finest materials only what the wealthiest could afford. "What did you do, steal some Lord's sword and try and pawn it off as your own?"

'_Okay you ass, I know we were lovers in the past, but I REALLY hate you. I can't wait until Naruto pops you one right in the jaw,'_ thought Sakura angrily as she glared back at the arrogant male. "For your information, Neji Hyuuga, this is my sword that a dear friend had made for me. And I'm sorry about making TenTen late for your drill session; we were just having a little fun. It's nothing for you to get your bandages in a twist over. It wouldn't hurt you to relax once in a while; it might not make you look so pissed at the world all the time," said Sakura harshly as she brushed past him only to get her arm grabbed ruthlessly. She turned and glared at the source.

Neji was not happy getting talked back to. No one ever did it in fear of getting punished. When the girl walked past him, he grabbed her arm and squeezed tightly to make his point. "Do not step over your bounds civilian, you will get hurt," said Neji harshly and cross.

While all this was going on TenTen and the shop owner watched in disbelief. So she was two minutes late and she couldn't go like she had the day before, but she was getting exhausted. She decided to try and get Neji to leave her new friend alone before more trouble was caused. "Neji, please let go of Sakura. She's not a civilian, but the new replacement for team seven's member, Jada. It wasn't because of her Neji that I was late, I had some errands to run for the shop at the last minute," said TenTen, who was really wanting to end this before things got worse. She didn't want Sakura to get hurt.

Neji heard what his teammate had said, but he didn't care. She was too weak to be a kunoichi, and she proved it by not avoiding him earlier. "Just give up your day job, and save everyone the headache of protecting you," said Neji as he finally let go of her arm. He saw a bruise was starting to form and smirked. _'You are just as your name states, a cherry blossom that can be crushed with the slightest force. Pathetic.'_ Neji started to leave when he felt a shift in the air and a kunai to his throat. He didn't even see her move; she went right into the blind spot and slipped through.

Sakura felt angry and had enough of being talked down to and decided that he needed a small lesson in manners. She disappeared and before Neji could respond she had one of his own kunais to his throat. It was handy knowing the weakness of her past lover. She leaned in closely so only he could hear and whispered in his ear.

He felt a jolt of an unknown emotion rip into his body. He didn't know if it was from feeling her body against his, her silky voice or from her aroma, but whatever it was he didn't like it. It didn't help that he had never been this close to a girl before. He tried to get away from her, but he felt his the kunai dig a little deeper into his neck. Without causing a scene in the store he came to the conclusion to wait until she released him. After another couple seconds of silence, she released him and handed his weapon back.

Sakura felt Neji's body shake slightly and she smirked inwardly. _'If only I would have known the only way to get any emotion out of you was to do this. But, this always did work to get you riled up for our nights of passion. Too bad, that's come and gone,'_ thought Sakura as she stepped back and handed Neji back his weapon. He turned around and faced her. "Listen Neji, I do not know you and you do not know me. I'm stronger than you think. Just know that when a cat is backed into a corner it will fight. If you keep pushing I will push back, just keep that in mind next time we talk. Have a good day and good luck in the exams, but I will still be cheering my teammates on."

Neji took back his weapon and glared at Sakura. He turned around and walked towards the door. He stopped before he left and told TenTen not to be late next time and to get more sleep. He needed to beat the failure and walked out of the store.

Sakura only giggled as the door slammed shut. _'More like that failure beats you my friend, and when that happens I'm going to celebrate,'_ thought Sakura as she walked over to the counter and laid the sheath before the owner. He was the original craftsman of the sword, before he was killed. He was the only one she trusted with her sword. The storeowner picked up the sheath and examined it.

Ryo Hawk's looked at the detail put into the sheath, and he was impressed. Whoever had made the sheath and designed it had placed their full pride into it. It had a beautifully woven vine design that stretch the full length and had thorns protruding through parts of the vines. It was black with the vines being an emerald green. He was about to pull the sword out when a hand stopped him. He looked up and noticed that it was the owner. "Is there something the matter?"

"Yes, there is. A good friend of mine's guardian made and designed the sword and sheath. The sheath is not the problem, but it is the sword. It was made from a snake's fang that still has the poisonous venom on its blade. Just one cut or touch of the blade to draw blood, will kill you. What I need you to do is take the nicks out of it and sharpen its blade. I want you to take your time on it and not rush on my account. I have heard that you are the best in this village and I trust no one else with my sword. If you fear you will die from the venom, I have the cure and will give it to use in case you do get hurt fixing it. Now you may look at it," said Sakura as she removed her hand from his.

Ryo now knew why she had stopped him. He wouldn't have known about the poison and would have tested the dullness of the blade. Nodding his head, he removed the sword from the sheath and looked on in amazement at the sword. The sword was ivory and metallic in color. _'So they combined the fang and the metal to forge the sword,'_ thought Ryo. The blade was smooth down to the point, but along the edge of the blade it needed some work. By the handle was the Konoha leaf symbol engraved into the sword as well as a name. Looking closer he read the name out loud, "Urushi Ryokuin or Poison by Leaf, I guess it's a fitting name for this sword." The handle was wrapped with leather and at the end of it there was a red chime dangling from it. Ryo looked over the sword more and figured everything that he would need to do to fix the sword. It would take time, but with a sword of this quality he would take his time. "The sword with take at least a month if not more to fix and I will do my finest work on your sword to make it like new," said Ryo as he sheathed the sword and placed it on the table behind him to start working on later.

"Thank you, I can't express my thanks in words. Do what ever you have to do to make it new again since price isn't a factor. By the way, here is the antidote for the venom," Sakura reached down to her leg, where a pouch was tied and removed a tube. "If you poke or cut yourself just put a dab of the cream on the wound and it will take care of the rest. It just takes a little bit and removes the poison." Sakura handed the tube to Ryo who placed it by the sword.

TenTen couldn't believe the beauty of Sakura's weapon. She would love to take a day just to train with it and get a feel for it. No wonder she took pride in the sword, it wasn't often you would fine one made of snake's fang. She just had to ask, "Sakura, that sword is amazing. Where did you fine the materials for it?"

"A friend of mine found the fang on his travels and wanted to make me a gift. I do need to ask something of the both of you, since you two have seen the sword. No one knows of this sword and I wish to keep it that way. If word was to get out about my sword, I can imagine there would be a couple people wanting it for themselves. So, please let's just keep it between us," pleaded Sakura who got nods from both people. Feeling a weight be lifted she smiled. She knew of a couple people that would love for the sword to be in their collection.

Ryo understood why she wanted to keep the weapon a secret. He made or fixed many weapons for people that asked him to not tell anyone about. Most of his customers were ninja, so it was to be expected. "I will inform you when your sword is ready, or I will have TenTen tell you," told Ryo as he left to start work on his newest obsession.

TenTen smiled and walked with Sakura to the door and told her that she would keep in touch with her about her package. Sakura thanked her, gave her friend a hug and left the shop to finally headed home.

She was half way home when she felt the sudden approaching chakra of her teacher. Stopping, Sakura turned in the direction it was coming and didn't wait long when Kakashi appeared in front of her in a puff. Waving her hand to clear the smoke, Sakura saw that Kakashi was reading his book again and tapped her foot. "Ok Kakashi, what was the hurry to come find me? It mustn't have been too important since you're reading your trashy romance novel again, " said an annoyed Sakura as she stepped around the jounin and headed home again. She only walked five feet until she ran into her teacher's padded chest. Now she was beginning to wonder what the deal was. She started backing up and went to walk around him again until she was swept off her feet and placed on Kakashi's shoulder, like a sack of potatoes.

Kakashi picked up his student and placed her on his shoulder and took of toward the direction he had come from. He didn't trust anyone else at the moment to help him and besides, she was a teammate now. He expected her to start throwing a fit about being mishandled, but all she did was push her body up and looked at the passing scenery. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, he pushed himself to reach the desert faster.

Now Sakura didn't like getting handled like this, but it wasn't the first time someone had done this to her. On more then one occasion people would carry her over their shoulder, just to see what she would do. It was fitting that it was Kakashi who always did this to her whenever he needed her to heal someone he was training with. "Kakashi, do I get the feeling you're not just running off with me to play out one of your crazy fantasies," said a devilish smirking Sakura. She might as well have a small amount of fun, even at his expense.

Kakashi was caught off guard with the question and slipped off the branch. He regained his footing and landed on the ground and decided that it might be safer. "No, I need you to heal Sasuke since he pushed himself too much and now is severely wounded. I trust that you can take care of his problems since you are learning to be a medic, " said Kakashi and he estimated the time until they reached the grounds. It would be another thirty minutes before they arrived, and luckily Gaara hadn't returned since he left.

'_So, I was right, but what the hell did Sasuke do to hurt himself to require medical help. Well, at least I'm getting to know my team better in this world,'_ thought Sakura as she just relaxed and enjoyed the very uncomfortable ride. _'I'm just glad that the slit on this dress doesn't come up any higher, now that would be down right embarrassing.'_

It took the thirty minutes to reach the grounds, but another ten to reach the top of the mountain. Once there Sakura was finally let down and she observed the surrounding area. There were a lot of holes in the sides and boulders surrounding the top, and that was when she noticed another Kakashi reading his book near the side of a boulder. Walking over towards the boulder, Sakura finally made out the still form of her teammate.

Sakura gasped. Running over to him, she noticed his multiple wounds on his body. He had cuts, some deep gashes on his arms, neck, and legs. _'Oh the gods!'_ Thought Sakura as she spotted the worst wound. It was a really nasty and deep cut on the inner part of his thigh, near the femoral arteries and it was bleeding badly.

Placing her hand over the wound she pushed some chakra into the wound to find the extent of the damage, and paled. The gash had just barely missed hitting the femoral artery, but it had grazed it causing the pool of blood near his thigh now. She started to repair the damage to the wound when Sasuke woke up suddenly and hit her in the jaw. Sakura fell backwards from the hit. She pushed her body in a sitting position on the ground and touched her check.

'_What is it with men manhandling me today. Good grief,'_ thought Sakura as she crawled back over towards the now awake Sasuke. Sakura's eyes locked with his and she glared. "Listen here you jerk, I was brought up here to help you and what do you do, you hit me in the jaw. Keep it up pal and you'll bleed to death the rate your going. Now stop moving and let me heal you," seethed Sakura. She sat next to him again and started to heal, but he still kept moving his body away from her touch. Sakura finally had enough and stood up on her knees and straddled his knees to stop him from moving.

Sasuke woke up and felt nothing but pain throughout his body and when he felt the presence of someone he punched them. Opening his eyes he spotted Sakura on the ground in front of his, now glaring at him. When she told him off he just ignored her and let her do her thing. That was until she touched his thigh again and he moved away from her. When he saw Sakura stand up he figured she was going to leave until she sat on his knees, so he could no longer move away from her. Sasuke finally got to see what his teammate was wearing and it got him to blush slightly. He felt his body tense up and it started to heat up, and not from the sun.

Sakura still sitting on his knees got to work healing the wound on his thigh and felt his body starting to shake. With not taking her eyes off the wound she started to make a metal tally of the wounds she needed to heal. Once she was done with the list she focused on the wound, until she felt eyes on her where they didn't belong. "Sasuke, as much as I like the attention, could you please raise your eyes from looking at my chest, it's not polite," warned Sakura. After a couple of minutes she still felt him staring at her breasts she took her eyes off the wound and locked eyes with Sasuke. He was still staring at her breasts and ignoring her words. "You keep staring where your eyes shouldn't be and I'm going to make you bleed from a different wound. A busted up nose," growled Sakura, who finally got her point across. Only problem she created a whole new set of problems for herself.

Sasuke's body just didn't heat up; it felt like it was on fire and it was only getting worse when he took in her appearance. The corset top hugged her figure nicely and with her healing his wound her arms pushed her breasts up higher and closer to him. Sasuke felt her legs around his knees and could feel her heat seeping into his skin. He could smell her natural scent and it didn't help his situation-- if anything it aroused his senses more. He started to wonder what that body could do against his, in the height of passion. He couldn't take his eyes off her until she threatened to give him a bloody nose. Only problem was, she made him like the attention more. She wasn't falling all over him and throwing herself at him; she was doing the complete opposite. Sasuke felt his body react and tighten in places it shouldn't.

Sakura caught sight of the new problem easily enough since it was in her line of vision and grumbled under her breath. _'I guess I shouldn't be surprised since he is like any other red blooded male, even if he ties to deny it. The time I do not need his attention or want it, I have it,'_ thought Sakura as she finished up the wound on his thigh. She started to work on the other wounds when she felt and noticed Sasuke's body go rigid, and it wasn't from ecstasy or release. She looked up and noticed that Sasuke had a glint in his eyes and he looked pissed. She followed his line of vision and noticed that it was on the bruise she had gotten earlier that day from Neji. She turned her eyes to Sasuke's and gasped, _'Oh boy!'_

Sasuke was looking at Sakura's body when his eyes landing on her neck and wondered what is would taste like. His eyes progressed to her arms and that's when he noticed a hand shaped bruise on her arm, above her elbow. Seeing his teammate hurt or manhandled caused fury to course through his veins and ecstasy to vanish without a trace. Sasuke started to feel rage take over this mind and welcomed it. _'I will kill whoever laid a hand on her. No one touches what is mine,'_ thought Sasuke as the curse mark started to emerge and spread from his shoulder. Sasuke embraced the change and the increase in power, and locked eyes with his emerald-eyed teammate. "Who hurt you, Sakura?" Demanded Sasuke as his sharingan bored into her eyes, demanding answers.

'_Oh boy, isn't the word I should have used. Not what I needed. Now I have a possessive teammate that wants to kill a person who is a fellow leaf ninja. Great, now just to defuse this situation and get the hell out of here, before he does anything else,'_ thought Sakura. Sakura raised her still glowing hand and placed it on the bruised arm and healed it. She turned to answer her teammate, "I got it when I went into town today and ran into a person and fell. The person grabbed my arm to stop my fall and it bruised. I just had gotten out of the shop and headed home when Kakashi came and got me. It was my fault and no one else since I wasn't paying attention." _I guess it's a good thing that he saw the bruise since now I got to see the curse mark. Now all I have to do is get him to answer a couple questions and turn his attention away from me.' _"Now Sasuke, you want to explain to me why you have a curse mark on your neck?" Asked a bewildered Sakura. She wanted him to tell her what happened since it would be the only way she would find out about it.

Sasuke heard Sakura answer him but he still felt the fury that someone would hurt such a girl, even unintentionally. When Sakura asked about the curse mark, he cussed himself out for revealing it. Jada was the only one to know of it within the three members, but now Sakura knew. _'I do not know why, but I feel like I should tell her the truth,'_ thought Sasuke as the marks receded back into his neck. "During the Forest of Death, I was given the curse mark from a man named Orochimaru. No one else knows about it except you, the teachers, Hokage and Kakashi. I do not want Naruto to know about it, understand," lectured Sasuke who locked eyes with Sakura who wanted an answer.

"I know of the man you speak of and he is one not to be taken lightly in battle with, from the stories I've heard. Now I see the point in the select people knowing of the mark, but why not Naruto. He is your teammate, he deserves to know. I know if I were him and learned about the mark later, I would be hurt by the lack of trust." Sasuke was about to interrupt her when she silenced him with a hard glare. "But, since it is not my secret to tell, I will respect your wish, but know that I do not agree," said Sakura as she stood from her position on Sasuke's knees and straighten her skirt.

She walked over to Kakashi and started to tell him about what wounds she had healed. She wasn't happy with the condition that Sasuke was in and to avoid it next time. Kakashi agreed, and said that he would take her back to her apartment. She nodded and waited. What she got wasn't expected, but shouldn't have been unexpected since what had previously happened only a couple minutes ago.

The air was knocked out of her lungs, and not by the impact of her body hitting the side of the mountain. Her hands were pinned above her shoulders and their fingers interlaced. Sasuke's mouth was hot on hers as he devoured and mapped hers to memory. He sucked and nipped her bottom lip, which earned him a moan. She felt him mold his sculptured body to hers, and felt the effect of their intimate position. He would have traveled to her neck had she not come out of her shock. Summoning chakra to her leg she raised it up and in between their bodies. Using the bolder as leverage Sakura pushed Sasuke away from her body. She took in the air that her lungs desperately cried for and brought her smoldering glare to meet his smug look.

She wouldn't have done anything if he hadn't licked his lips, tasting her flavor, and moaned. "I do not know what has gotten into you Sasuke, but I will only tell you once. You do that again and I grantee you will regret it, and besides romance between teammates never works and it's frowned upon. Now if you will excuse me, I'm leaving," demanded Sakura as she stomped over towards the edge of the mountain and started to jump.

Sasuke tasted her flavor still on his lips and his mouth and felt his body grow harder. Meeting her glare and hearing her demands only burned the need for her hotter, and felt his body sing with denied pleasure. When he saw her walk off, he followed her.

While all this was going on, Kakashi was watching with fascination and it wasn't because of his book. The scene in front of him played out just as one of his favorite parts. He couldn't look away and wished he had a seat to watch the drama unfold. _'But Sakura was right; romance between teammate was never encouraged since it could destroy team dynamic,'_ thought Kakashi as he watched as Sasuke follow the mad kunoichi to the edge of the mountain.

Sakura stopped mid jump and turned to face the boy that now held her hand. She turned her body fully around and decided that since words were not working then maybe action would. _'They always said action speaks louder than words. Well, let's put that theory to the test,'_ thought Sakura as she pushed chakra into her hand behind her back. Once she had the desired amount she punched Sasuke in the stomach and pulled her hand free.

When Sasuke felt the hit, the air left his lungs and he was propelled into the very shadows she had healed him in. He took in the air that the hit had forced him to exhale. _'It seems someone has a temper and doesn't like her orders not followed. I can't wait to see what other buttons to push,'_ thought Sasuke as he watched his teammate storm towards him.

Sakura stomped towards her slumped teammate and stood a couple feet from him; out of his reach. "Sasuke, if you continue this I will follow through and use violence. Besides, I want to be your teammate and friend, but not your girlfriend or a lover. Please understand that and respect it because I will respect your wish. Now please follow mine," pleaded Sakura as she looked Sasuke in the eyes and awaited his answer. When she saw him hesitantly give a nod she smiled and nodded back. She turned around and jumped over the nearest edge and headed home.

After Sakura had left Kakashi sighed; it was time to get back to training. The vacation was over and it was time to push everything into overdrive if Sasuke was going to be ready. _'Maybe he will put all the extra energy into training. I wouldn't be surprised if he takes his frustration out in his training,'_ thought Kakashi as he started the lesson where it had stopped.

Sasuke was not happy with her words, but they did hold merit, since she knew of the curse mark. It would be frustrating, but he would try, but she made it hard with her appeal to him. He would just have to push himself more to gain her attention. Sasuke tuned his attention back to his teacher and followed what he was instructed to do.

Sakura returned home by herself and thanked the gods she was finally within her sanctuary. She ran to the shower and jumped in, not caring about the clothes getting wet. She needed to clear her head and get his smell and presence off of her. She would have to rethink her strategy to accommodate this newest problem. _'I really hate that damn curse mark,'_ thought Sakura angrily as she scrubbed her body clean.

For the rest of the month leading up towards the Chuunin Exams, she spent her time divided between her friends, training, and her visits to Rock Lee. She always managed to see him when he was asleep. She still needed to go on that date with Jiraiya, who she knew would hold her to her promise. It would be good to have him be in her corner later. A week before the final exam, she visited the Third one last time and he gave her the two letters she would deliver later.

Those letters held her chances of changing the future. She only hoped that the words written would be enough for them to trust her. Who she really need was the man who would be showing up in a little over a week. She wanted that confrontation to end well, because if it didn't she was in trouble. She couldn't wait for this all to be over and she could finally breathe without feeling the pressure weighing her down. _'The only problem, everything has just gotten started.'_

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Authors Note:**

Alright, people we just meet Neji and yes he is an ass and he will remain that way until later. I will have a little interaction of those two again in later chapters, but do not count on there being a kiss between them. You got that in chapter 3. :D Now to deal with Sasuke, yes he is emotionless, but he is a male but he isn't really thinking clearly. For the other questions about Sasuke and Sakura reactions to the kiss, you will have to wait and see in the next chapter.

**Recommend Read-of-the-week  
**Sakura/Sasuke  
What Could have Been by LoveMeDeadly

**Summary-** 15 years has passed since he left Konoha. While in a village market he finds himself in a small shop were an old woman gives him a special stone that is meant to give someone a view at a life they could have had. He wishes on the stone to see what life would have been like if he had never left Konoha and when he awakens hr finds himself in a life he would have never dreamed of. Could this new life be the happiness he always wanted and can he find a way to keep it even after the stones magic wears off...


	9. Journey to Confrontation

**_Chapter 9- Journey to Confrontation_**

When Sakura woke up the morning of the Chuunin Exams, she knew it was going to be a LONG day. The night before she had made all the preparations for the day. Her last meeting with the Hokage was filled with sorrow, and him giving her the letters she would need to gain the trust of two people. The only one to know of what Itachi did was the Third, and he would hopefully trust his judgment. She would be meeting him sooner then later and it was time to get going. Sakura left her apartment and headed towards the arena to watch her teammates fight.

Sakura hadn't really thought on what Sasuke had done to her that day, since she kind of blacked it out. She would admit that a boy who chose to stay away from girls sure knew how to kiss one. Bringing her fingertips to her lips, she could still feel the tingling and spark. In the past she was never given the chance to kiss him, except on the cheek. Looking back on it, she wasn't really sad that she didn't kiss him, because in the long run she saw him as a brother, not a lover. Besides, in this world things couldn't work between them—they had a major factor against them. It was the same reason she couldn't be with Neji. She was older than them by four years and knew their darkest secrets that others didn't know about. It wasn't like she looked down on age; her parents had a ten-year difference, with her mother being the younger one. She just wanted a man that was older then her.

Just as Sakura was getting ready to walk into the arena she bumped into Ino, TenTen, Hinata, and Kiba; they joined her in her area instead of being spread out. While waiting for the match to begin, they started to bet who would win against who. No one really thought that Naruto would beat Neji, but she couldn't be persuaded on her bet. When the match finally began, Sakura cheered for Naruto loudly. When Neji was punched in the jaw, she brought her hand to touch her own since she knew what that punch felt like. When Naruto was declared the winner she jumped over the rail to hug her teammate.

"You did it Naruto! You kept your word," yelled Sakura as she hugged a still shocked Naruto. When she pulled back she kissed Naruto on the cheek and smiled at him. "But, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, you are going to be royalty some day. I say you did well, little brother. Take your lap around the arena, you deserve it!" said Sakura as she playfully pushed a gasping Naruto away from her.

"Li…little brother?" asked a surprised and shocked Naruto. He had no family and here Sakura was offering to be his sister. He hoped he wasn't dreaming because if she was it would crush him.

Sakura smiled and started to walk away from Naruto, but looked over her shoulder and grinned. "You got it, bub. You were my first friend here, and besides I think you and I clicked. But, most of all, I always wanted a little brother to spoil." With those words spoken she jumped back up to her seat in the stands. She turned to see a teary eyed, but smiling Naruto. He took his lap around the ring and that was when she noticed that Kiba and Hinata were missing.

When she couldn't find them in the crowd surrounding her, she turned to Ino and their new addition Chouji. "Hey guys, where did Hinata and Kiba run off to?" Asked a worried Sakura; she never did know where they were during the attack on the village and it worried her.

"When you jumped down to congratulate Naruto, Hinata started to cough up blood, so Kiba took her to the doctor. They were just barely into the aisle when an Anbu showed up and offered to heal her. He took her to the healing chambers I'm guessing and Kiba is keeping her company," said Ino, who stopped her conversation with Chouji. They were all worried about Hinata, but the Anbu said not to worry; so they trusted him.

Exhaling a sigh of relief, she turned her head to watch the next match begin. Sakura knew she needed to find them, so she sent a small, unnoticed pulse of chakra through her feet to find her friends' signatures. The pulse came back to her and she turned around swiftly causing her long hair to hit Ino in the face. The pulse had read that they were unconscious at the tops of the stairs within the shadows. Sakura's eyes raked the crowed to find the cloaked Anbu members, and found one that gave her an artic chill down her spine. Only one had given her that feeling, the bastard of a traitor and spy Kabuto. When she saw him watching her she acted like she was looking for another friend. She slowly turned to watch as Shikamaru was just pushed out of the challenger box. She turned to face Ino and said sorry about her hair getting in her face.

The group continued to watch as Shikamaru beat Temari, but gave her the win any way because it was too troublesome to go further. They waited for Sasuke to arrive and when he did she wasn't as surprised as last time since she was more on her toes watching the Hokage. She really did feel sorry for him, but he would go out as a hero, just the way any Hokage wants to go. When Sasuke's match started she turned to welcome Kakashi to the match. That's when she noticed Gai and Rock Lee standing next to him. They must have walked in just as he arrived. "Nice to see you again, Kakashi. I hope all went well, since you didn't have to come and get me for another healing session?" Asked a smiling Sakura, she knew the answer, but it was a good way to break the silence that had befallen the group.

Kakashi looked at his student and saw that she was wearing the same outfit she had been when he had brought her to tend to Sasuke's wounds. "Yes, everything turned out fine. No need to worry," said a creased eyed Kakashi as he brought his book out to read. He wouldn't be reading, he was more alert then people thought; it was his act. Gai and him conversed for a little while until Gai asked who Sakura was since he had not seen her before. "She is the replacement for Jada, since she is resigning. Her name is Sakura Haruno and she excels in genjutsu and is learning to be a medic," said Kakashi, never taking his eyes from his novel.

Rock Lee heard the two teachers talking and looked over to see who they were talking about and he grasped the crutches tighter. Blood started to seep into the once white bandages; from the pressure he placed on the crutches. She was either a goddess or an angel, but whatever word he chose to use, she was beautiful. She wore the leaf headband proudly on her forehead, and possessed a calming presence. "Hello there. My name is Rock Lee. I hear your name is Sakura, you truly hold the power of youth, dear flower," said Rock Lee as he extended his injured hand out to her.

Sakura looked up at Rock Lee and smiled at him. He was sad now, but he would be better once Lady Tsunade worked her magic on him. She took his hand in hers and shook lightly, to not cause him pain. "I have heard a lot about you, Rock Lee, from TenTen. She speaks very highly about you, isn't that right TenTen," said Sakura as she poked her friend in the ribs, who kept pushing the finger away from her abused ribs. Sakura finally stopped and faced Rock Lee again, "Sorry, I haven't stayed long enough to talk to you Rock Lee when I visit. You are usually asleep when I drop by, so I leave the lily in the vase for you everyday." He didn't need to know that she always waited until he was asleep to stop by with the flower. She wanted to meet him here, not in the hospital.

Lee stood in shock and stared at the girl. "It has been you leaving the flowers for me daily, but why?" Asked a confused Lee. She didn't even know him and she was being nice to him.

"Do you mind if I call you Lee?" Asked Sakura who got a nod from Rock Lee in approval. "Thanks Lee, I felt bad because of what happened at your match with Gaara. But, don't worry, you'll get better in no time, I just know it! You're too strong of a ninja to stay down for long, but take your time and heal right. Nothing is gained by pushing ones self before you're healed. You will only slow your healing down instead of helping it," said Sakura as she smiled at a shocked Lee. He really was a good person that would become so much stronger after he heals.

Lee nodded his head in understanding and resolved to try and take her words to heart. It would be hard not to push himself, but he would try to back off some. He turned his head to watch the match everyone had been waiting for.

Gai watched and listened to Kakashi's student as she gave his student advice on healing. He had been trying to find the person who had been leaving the flowers, but no one would help him. They all said she wanted to remain secret until she revealed herself. All he knew about her was that she was a lot nicer then Jada. That girl only had on thing on her brain and it wasn't being a ninja. Taking one last look at Sakura, he turned to watch the match.

From there, everything played as normal as it should have. Naruto came barging in demanding that the match get stopped. The Hokage got attacked, people fell asleep, and the attack was underway. Sakura played her part and not attacking was hard, but it had to be done that way. Stepping in front of Gaara's attack hurt just as bad as it did last time for Sakura, but instead of a glare, she smiled at him as he pinned her to the tree. She pretended to pass out, but it didn't feel any better then it did last time before she passed out. When the battle was over, she did wake up just as Sasuke caught her. Sakura helped Sasuke with Naruto as the three siblings left for home and smiled at Gaara one last time.

The two leaped from the tree branches and hurried towards the village to see what they could do to help. Naruto was passed out between the two. Sakura turned towards Sasuke and smiled, "Hey Sasuke, thanks for the catch back there. I was just coming to and wouldn't have woke up before I hit the ground. So, what happened while I was out of it," asked a curious Sakura who cocked her head to the side to prove her point.

On the way there Sasuke told her about his battle first with Temari then explained the battle with Gaara, until they arrived. He explained in detail what happened after she had been pinned to the tree and Naruto's win over Gaara. "Why did you jump in the way when Gaara was attacking me? You could have been killed," demanded Sasuke angrily as he glared at her. He had taken her words to heart after she had left him with Kakashi. She was the first female to not throw herself at his feet. He did really like her, she was beautiful and stronger than normal people, but he would wait to see what would come of their friendship. He didn't want to scare her; he wanted her to come to him if she wanted a relationship. He was brought out of his thoughts by Sakura's answer.

"Well Sasuke, that's easy. You are my teammate and I will not stand on the sidelines while a comrade needs my help. I have lost too many people in battles and do not plan to lose any others on my watch. I will admit I did not think everything completely through, but I didn't want you to die from that hit. I would rather it be me to die from a hit meant for someone important to me, than them. I will then know that I have lived my life and completed what I wanted to do: protect those that are most precious to me, even at the cost of my life," said a depressed Sakura, remembering all the friends she had lost in the past. She turned to face Sasuke and saw understanding in his eyes. He was not guarding his emotions for the first time and allowing someone to see who he really was.

Sasuke heard her story and felt a pull at his heart; her eyes held sadness within their emerald pools. She had no family like him and she understood the drive to achieve a goal; at all cost. Even if they didn't date, he couldn't help but see her as a sister maybe down the line. She would be a great woman to marry and bring the next line of Uchiha into the world. _'She understands me better than anyone I know. I am glad she was put on our team as the replacement,'_ thought Sasuke as they continued through the forest.

"Hey Sasuke, I know that this is a bad time to bring up what happened in the desert, but I want to tell you something that I learned," said Sakura as they continued their journey. Sakura looked down to see if Naruto was still knocked out and when she saw that he was she awaited Sasuke's responds.

Sasuke really didn't know what to say, but he was curious about what she learned. "Why not," said Sasuke, it wasn't like they were going to get anything out of Naruto since he was out like a light. Beside his loud mouth might give him more of a head then one he had already from the battle.

"Well….when I got home after you kissed me I did some research and I found something out that I thought you might want to know about. It's about the curse mark and some of the affects that is has on the body," said Sakura as she turned her head to gage his reaction. She knew that he already knew a little about the curse mark, but not as much as he would later after he met the Sound Four.

Sasuke looked at Sakura in surprise. She knew some information about the mark on his neck that their teacher hadn't told him. He nodded his head towards Sakura; he wanted to learn all he could about the damn mark that was making a mess of his life.

Seeing the nod of his head, Sakura continued where she left off. "Well, the curse mark likes to mess with the host's body and if it's used too many times, it can really start to destroy the cells in the body. But, that wasn't all I wanted to tell you….I think I might have found a reason why you kissed me…." Said a very blushing Sakura as she turned her head away from Sasuke's view to try and get her blush under control. She really was embarrassed since she thought of Sasuke as an honorary brother, not a lover, but when he kissed her she couldn't help but moan. He had caught her by surprise and it didn't help that he reminded her of the man she had a crush on.

Sasuke couldn't help but blush himself, but he understood why she did since it was unlike him to act in such a manner, but he felt like he had no control. After a couple moments and getting his blush under control, Sasuke asked her to finish her sentence. He couldn't wait to learn what else she was going to say.

Sakura finally achieved getting her blush under control. She turned to face her teammate and to finish giving him the answer. "The curse mark has a way of changing the host's mind and it influences certain ideas in the mind. Now I know that you are used to girls falling all over you, but since I am not, the mark and you see me as a challenge in a way. Am I correct?" Asked Sakura to Sasuke and when he nodded she continued. "Well, when I arrived to heal you, you were already drained of a lot of chakra and the curse mark knew that. It really became active when you saw me and after that the mark started to change your mind and influence your thirst for certain things….like for an example….female contact," said a scarlet red Sakura. It just wasn't from telling Sasuke this but from knowing that Sasuke had a slight attraction towards her and her response towards him. She really wanted to stop blushing. _'I'm not a damn twelve year old fan girl again, seeking Sasuke's attention at every turn,'_ thought Sakura as she tried to get her blush once again under control.

Sasuke took her words in and after he thought on them he realized that the ideas had a lot of merit behind them. He would never have done something like that even if he were attracted to a girl, until he got to know her better. Sasuke knew that the curse mark would make his life hell, but for it to do this. He was beginning to think that his life was hell already and destined to remain that way.

He turned his attention to Sakura, "I'm sorry about that and I hope you will forgive me and next time something like this happens, I hope to have better control over it. It's just that I consider you someone precious to me and kind of think of you as mine," said Sasuke who had a slight tint of red dusting his checks. He saw that Sakura had nodded her head in understanding. _'How is it that she always knows how to understand me and what I am always saying? Why can't other girls be like her?'_

Sakura understood where Sasuke was coming from. "I know what you mean Sasuke. I may not have been an original member of your team, but I feel like I have been from day one. I feel like you and Naruto are mine…. my honorary brothers, my family. With that said I still mean what I said about placing my life on the line if it's one of my family members," spoke a determined and fiery-eyed Sakura as she caught Sasuke agreeing with her.

'_To have someone else look out after me and see me as family. You really are something special, Sakura. We will see.'_ "We will see what happens, Sakura," answered Sasuke. The rest of the way to the village was in silence, except when Naruto started to snore, which got both members laughing at the blond.

They arrived back in the village and took Naruto to the hospital and helped with the injured ninja they came across, and killed those that threatened them. Once everything was clear, Sakura sought out Jiraiya, because she had to talk to him.

It was time to have a small visit with him. She told Sasuke that she would meet up with him later; she was going to check in another direction for survivors. They split and she tracked him down; he was near the outer wall talking to Ibiki. She landed near the two and they acknowledged her.

"The wounded have been taken to the hospital and the dead are being gathered so they may be buried. I have another body I found on my travels here, but she was a civilian now. Jada Tomoe was found near the Forest of Death and had been stabbed in the stomach. She bled to death before I got to her. I am sorry to say that I didn't really know the girl. Last time I met her was with the Hokage," said a mournful Sakura. She didn't want to lie, but that would be the only way to cover up her death and not get questions asked. It may not have been in battle, but at least she would be recognized in a way. The two nodded to her and she turned her main attention towards Jiraiya. "If you will, Lord Jiraiya, I would like a couple minutes to talk to you privately. It concerns Naruto and I think you should know about him since you are his teacher," said Sakura, who waited for his response. When he gave it he said his farewell to Ibiki and followed Sakura.

When Sakura felt she was out of earshot, she brought a light amount of chakra to her eyes and found no one to overhear them. She reverted her eyes from the Byakugan back to normal and faced the older man. When she turned to face him she found that he wore a glare and he was looking right at her. _'Great, what did I do to deserve this,'_ though Sakura as she waited for him to speak. She didn't have to wait long.

"You want to explain to me why you feel I need to know the brat's condition. I know he will be fine, but what I want to know most of all is why you wear a Sand headband as a belt. If you were from Sand, you would have known about the attack, but yet you did nothing to stop it. Are you a spy?" Demanded Jiraiya heatedly. He needed to know if she could have stopped his teacher's death. He would get his answers one way or another.

'_I didn't expect that,'_ thought Sakura as she pondered the answers to his questions. After a while she came up with the answers and decided the truth was better. If he even smelled a lie, he would become suspicious and that wouldn't help her. She wanted his trust; he would be a great ally to have. _'Well, best not make him wait to long.'_ "I used to live in Sand until I heard of my mother's death just recently, and moved back here. I knew nothing of the coming invasion, because if I did, don't you think I would have told someone? I would have said something if I had known, and besides, this headband belonged to a really good friend of mine. He died a long time ago during a mission. He died protecting me when I was heavily wounded and it was his siblings that gave me the headband. I am no stranger to death or sacrifice," said a mournful Sakura as she remembered Gaara's death protecting her and allowed the tears to take their place. She didn't allow them to fall since now was not a time to be remembering that battle.

Jiraiya looked at Sakura with a newfound respect. She wasn't like the new generation who knew nothing of the hardship ninja faced. "Sakura, I feel sorry that you have had to lose people close to you so young, but that is the life and way of a ninja. You cannot change what is done, so you must look towards the future and shape it," said Jiraiya as he looked at the Hokage Mountain.

"Jiraiya, I know that you care about Naruto more than you say because he is your godson. You promised the Fourth that you would take care of him since it was from your book that he named him. I wish you would just admit it that you care for the _brat_ as you call him," said a smirking Sakura. She wanted him to understand she knew a secret that no one knew about the sannin.

Jiraiya turned his head quickly to stare at the smirking face of Sakura. _'How can she know that, no one but the Third knew about Naruto and he's now dead. Who is this girl,'_ thought Jiraiya as he took a couple steps away from her.

Sakura watched as he stepped away from her and sighed. She hoped she wasn't making a mistake and trusting him. Sakura turned her palms up towards Jiraiya to show she meant him no harm. "Lord Jiraiya, I mean no harm, but more than anything I mean to change what will come to pass in about four to five years. I know I haven't given you a reason to trust me but I ask that you do. The Third knew of my secrets and I ask that you too will listen because I need another hand because I am only one person. You were one of his students, so I know that he taught you about honor and the Will of Fire. Please follow me and I will explain everything to you in detail, but not here. If you do not follow I understand and will not hold it against you, but I ask that you do because it will save millions of lives," pleaded Sakura as she jumped to the top of the roof and headed towards the apartment.

She didn't need to look back to know that Jiraiya was following her. Once at the apartment she walked to her door and deactivated the genjutsu and traps. She didn't need to scare him off.

Jiraiya watched as she completed a complex series of hand signs and laid her hand on the door. The door glowed a faint green and she walked in and he followed. He kept his senses on alert and watched for any movement he felt was suspicious. Looking around the apartment he noticed that it was clean but most of all held no real traps should a ninja get past the door. Turning to look at Sakura he noticed she was sitting on the couch waiting for him. He took his seat on the chair by the table and waited.

"I would offer you something to drink, but I think you wouldn't drink it since you would feel I might try to poison you. I will cut to the chase and not beat around the bush. My name is Sakura Haruno and I am really sixteen years old and from the future where I am really older than that. I was sent back because in the future, I am the only surviving leaf ninja from the village. Everyone is dead, and that means Naruto, Tsunade and yourself. You died fighting the Akatsuki leader named Pein, but you would know him as Nagato from Rain," said Sakura as she recited the information that Tsunade had told her from Jiraiya's last scroll. She locked eyes with him and saw that he had gone rigid.

'_She knows of the Akatsuki and their leader's name. If all what she says is right then were in trouble. That would explain how she knew of me being Naruto's godfather,'_ thought Jiraiya, but he didn't let his guard down just yet. He wanted one more piece of proof before he believed her. "If you are who you say you are then tell me, who is Naruto's mother and where was she from?" If she didn't answer the question right he would know she was a spy and he would kill her.

Sakura smiled at Jiraiya as he asked the question. She was glad that he didn't trust her right off the back and wanted more proof to her claim. She was glad that Naruto found his family's history book in the archives of the Hokage library and shared with her his history. "Her name was Kushina Uzumaki and she was from the Village of Whirlpool. Naruto was given her last name since no one knew that the Fourth had a child. When the nine-tails attacked he decided to use his son since he could ask no one else to give up their own child. In the end his wishes were in vain and Naruto wasn't hailed as the hero but as the demon himself," spoke a slightly mad Sakura as she remembered how Naruto was treated. She really hated the village for not respecting their Hokage's wishes, but they didn't know the whole truth so they allowed their fear to cloud their minds.

Jiraiya's jaw fell out of his mouth. Only the Third and he knew the name of Minato Namikaze wife and where she was from. He knew that the Third wouldn't tell anyone to protect Naruto; the elders of the village didn't even know that the Fourth Hokage had a child. He turned and noticed that Sakura's hands had made fists and her fingers were white and would have been bleeding had she not been wearing gloves. _'So she holds some affection towards the blond. But, if she is as old as she says then she has seen a lot in her life. That would explain the complex hand signs at her door. You hold many secrets,'_ thought Jiraiya as he relaxed his body to get comfortable; he trusted her, but still kept his body ready for anything.

Sakura finally came out of her old memories and noticed that Jiraiya had finally relaxed and was smirking at her. _'Ah oh. I do not like that smirk one bit and coming from him it's even worse,' _thought a frightened Sakura who allowed her body to go rigid. "Is there a reason your smirking like that?"

"Yes, it seems that you hold a flame towards Naruto, am I right?" asked Jiraiya. _'This would make interesting new novel material. I wonder if I could get her to pose for me,'_ pondered Jiraiya silently from within his head.

Sakura heard the question and laughed. Her and Naruto, that was just wrong on so many levels. Finally getting her laugh under control she answer his question. "The only feelings I have for that noodle head are those of sisterly affection. He is destined to be with another girl that will make him even happier than I ever could."

Jiraiya nodded his head and voiced what was bugging him. "So tell me what happens that you need my help with. If you gained the trust of the Third, then you have my support." If the future was as bad as she claimed then she would need a little extra help and he would be glad to help her the best he could.

Sakura informed him of her world's demise and what lead her to the current time. It took over an hour to explain to him everything that happened in her world and what she had done in this world. She answered his questions and would continue to until they were done talking. She told him what was to come and what she needed him to do to insure that everything went as planned. "…so I need you in the end to train Naruto and take him on as your apprentice. Only under your teachings will he become the man he was meant to be," said Sakura as she finally finished her tale.

Jiraiya understood her need for help, but now he knew that she would need his help to pull it off. He needed to train the brat so that he would stand a chance in the future. _'Well, I was thinking of taking on a challenge. I just didn't know that I would be taking on the biggest challenge the leaf could offer.' _He didn't like some of the information that she gave him, but it did help clear up some of the information he already knew about. _'Who knew that Itachi Uchiha was really on our side the whole time and would later be reinstated as a leaf ninja of Konoha.'_

"So you understand that I need you to teach Naruto; you might be surprised at his ability to learn and his drive to succeed. I guess the name fits the title of your character in your novel. But trust me when I say that he will grow on you and change many people's lives," said Sakura as she walked out of the kitchen and sat a cup of tea in front of him. She turned to stare out the window and watched as people rushed around helping others. "This is all I ask of you, Lord Jiraiya, nothing more. But, you must not tell anyone unless I say otherwise." Sakura looked down at her scarred arms since she had dropped the transformation jutsu and the genjutsu to hide her scars. She didn't realize that her arms were bare of any scars, just the scars from her memories. He wanted to see the real her, so she showed him, he was surprised when he found out that she also held a contract for the toads on her wrist. She told him she learned it from Sasuke since he was taught by Orochimaru.

"Lady Sakura, if you ever feel the need to talk to someone because the pressure gets too great, you can always seek me out. I will always listen and help you the best I can. I still cannot believe everything that happens but that would explain a lot of things and how you knew about them. Well, I better be going since I need to talk to Naruto and get him to go on the trip to retrieve Tsunade. But tell me, how does he convince her to come back when many have failed?" asked a confused sage to turned to face the young women. Jiraiya watched as Sakura started to smile and wondered what she could be thinking of to make her smile in happiness.

"That's easy Lord Jiraiya, he just does what comes natural to him. He helps those who have lost hope see the light at the end of the tunnel," said Sakura as she remembered Naruto's LONG tale of his bet with the slug princess. He really did have a way for helping everyone he came in contact with.

Jiraiya left and Sakura followed after transforming again to her younger self. She went to the hospital and helped where she could. It would be in the next couple days that the dead would be buried and respects paid towards them.

When it was time for the funeral, Sakura never really cried since she had done that the night before. As she walked to join the group walking home she turned and looked off into the distance towards the gates. She knew he was here and soon they would meet once again. "I will see you tomorrow Itachi, that I promise. You may not see me, but I will see you," mumbled a happy Sakura as she ran to catch up to the three boys waiting on her.

As the golden sun rose the day after the funeral for the Hokage, people could find Sakura outside at the training ground since six that morning. She was beginning to get less sleep since she could no longer hold the nightmares at bay. So instead of just lying in bed she would get up and exercise. Sakura wanted to keep her strength up, but she also didn't like getting spied on. Stopping her training mid swing she turned her attention toward the trees and smirked.

The person in the trees saw the smirk and watched as his teammate disappeared and he blocked her kick to his ribs. After jumping out of the trees, Sasuke landed on the dirt and watched as Sakura walked towards him. She was wearing her usually training outfit, which didn't leave much to the imagination, but yet it did. She wore her usual high heeled shoes, but she had wrapped her legs just like Ino. Her skirt reached the knees, was black with a slit on the right side, for easy access to her weapons. Her stomach was bare, but covered with more bandages, as well as her chest. Her top was a red corset that had no sleeves, but tied around her neck. Around her neck was the usual necklace that no one could see and her ears were pierced. Her hands had the normal gloves and wrapping around her wrists.

It didn't matter what she was wearing since everywhere she walked she had eyes watching her. He was headed to meet Kakashi later for some training and decided to have a light sparring session with Sakura. After his talk with her he found that she knew a lot about him that other girls didn't. He accused her of being a fan girl and she told him she just knew his type and watched his body language since that always told stories. He found it was easier to see her as a friend than a potential girlfriend. Since he had never kissed a girl before he was surprised at the emotion if could bring out and he let it overwhelm him. After he realized that he found it easier to be around her and think of her as a sister he never had, even if he had kissed the said sister just about a month ago. A sister that always got her way one way or another with him and usually set him straight if he was wrong.

After their six-hour light sparring session she walked with him to meet Kakashi at the teahouse for more training. Sakura was telling Sasuke about a friend of hers that was always driving her nuts because of his endless supply of energy, and Sasuke said that this person reminded him of Naruto. The two laughed since it was true and arrived to see Kakashi waited for Sasuke. Sasuke was shocked to see his teacher early and commented on it, when Asuma and Kurenai arrived.

Sakura could see the red clouds from the short distance and knew who they were. _'I didn't expect to be meeting him here. Oh well,'_ thought a slightly shocked Sakura as she took her place next to Sasuke's side. "Hello Kakashi, you sure are a little early. Asuma, Kurenai how are you guys doing? I haven't seen Ino or Hinata for a while so could you please tell them I said hi, if you see them before I do," She asked the two who nodded.

"So what are you two doing out together?" asked Asuma. He still didn't trust her, but he had gone to talk to his father about her. The Hokage told him that she wasn't a threat to the village, if anything she was the savior. He didn't know what he meant, but one thing he did notice was that he had never seen Ino so happy, so he left it alone for now.

"Well Asuma, Sasuke and I just came from doing some light training and I walked with him to meet Kakashi. If you're going to hit Sasuke and I up about being out together, what about you two. You two seem overly friendly towards each other, but I guess it could be my imagination at work," said a smirking Sakura who allowed her eyebrow to rise as she caught Sasuke's smirk out of the corner of her eye.

Kakashi interrupted the light banter between the three and told Asuma and Kurenai about the two strangers secretly. Of course the two strangers had fled the teashop before the two leaf ninja's knew it. After the two left Sasuke and Sakura followed Kakashi to the training grounds where he wanted Sasuke to get training in. He said that he would be back after a bit, he had a small errand to run. When he disappeared, Sasuke just shrugged his shoulders and smirked at Sakura who sadly shook her head no. "You forget buddy that I have a meeting with a friend of mine that I can not miss. I have been waiting a month for this meeting and I am not about to miss it. He will only be in town for a couple hours before he leaves again. I'll come see you later after the meeting and tell you how it went and I'll cook you dinner. Sound like a treat?" asked Sakura who used her puppy eyes. As she turned around to leave and meet her old friend again, Sasuke yelled out to her.

"Fine. Leave, I don't care. I will take you up on that dinner since it's you cooking and not the idiot's idea of dinner," said a smirking Sasuke as he smirked more at Sakura's attempt to stop her giggle. When she couldn't stop the giggle she just let it out.

"You forget buddy boy, that idiot is my honorary brother and so are you. You two just play nice ok. I do not want to have to separate you two and put you guys in time out," said the giggling Sakura as she walked out of the training grounds. She barely heard Sasuke's 'ya right, if you could' reply before she was out of range. Once she was out of sight, she took off towards the fight she knew was taking place and hoped she wasn't too late.

Sakura arrived just a little after Kakashi must have made his appearance. She stood off in the trees and watched the battle play out. When Kakashi was stabbed in the back by the clone Itachi, she felt the blade of a kunai in her back. _'So he felt my arrival. I shouldn't be surprised since I could never beat him, except those few times,'_ thought Sakura as pain consumed her body, to only have a log took her place.

Itachi looked around for the female and had to admit that she was good. She hid her chakra very well and she had stealth. "You might as well come out of hiding, kunoichi. I know where you are," said a flat toned Itachi. He watched as his shadow clones took care of the other three leaf ninja. Their skills surely were lacking since he left the village.

Sakura, from her hiding spot in the trees, jumped down in front of the older Uchiha and looked at his feet. "It is good to finally meet you, Itachi Uchiha. I have heard a lot about you, and I must say that the stories do not measure up to your skill. I have been waiting for you and I wonder," Sakura raised her eyes to finally meet his, "if you received the Hokage's last letter to you," asked a slightly hopeful Sakura. When she didn't notice a difference in his posture, she changed tactics. "So I see that I get the real Uchiha over the shadow clones that the others are fighting. I feel so special," said now a sarcastic Sakura. She saw the movement and countered just as the sweep happened with a jump. Only problem, that was what he counted on, as he kicked her into a set of trees.

Itachi walked over towards her and stopped as the girl disappeared again. She really was good at her timing. He hadn't seen her complete the hand signs. _'Maybe she is a worthy adversary, but she is young.'_ Itachi looked around to find where his prey had gone to. He turned around in time to block her punch and then her leg aimed at his side. Too bad he didn't see the difference in the shadow clone fast enough as it exploded. Itachi was thrown backwards and then kicked into the air by Sakura.

Sakura kicked Itachi into the air and followed after him, only problem was he blocked each and every one of her attempts to hit him. When they both landed, Sakura looked around her to find the real Itachi and not the clone now in front of her. Not finding him she saw that something was off and knew she had been caught. She had caught the reflection of his ring. She hurried and canceled the genjutsu just as Itachi hit her in the stomach with a punch.

The air left her lungs and she felt her hair being pulled up and she locked eyes with Itachi. He had his sharingan spinning and she knew what he had planned, the Tsukuyomi. She wasn't afraid, she just knew that there was going to be a repeat performance of the last time he first tried it on her. _'Oh well, I wanted a way to talk to him, this will work better since he will see the truth.'_ "If I were you Itachi, I wouldn't do that. The last time you did, you ended up on your ass with an even more sever migraine then the one you have daily," said a truthful and smirking Sakura as she was pulled into the blood red realm of the moon.

Itachi heard what she had said, but just ignored it. As the Tsukuyomi finished materializing he walked over towards the girl pinned to the cross. There was something that started to bother him when he noticed that she wasn't fighting the restraints and she had a smirk on her face. He took out his sword and held it against her stomach. He would break her spirit; even the most seasoned ninja breaks sometime. _'She is too cocky for her own good.'_

"I just knew you wouldn't listen to me, but I guess that's what I was counting on," said Sakura as she screamed, when the sword pierced her stomach. It really did hurt, but he had taught her to overcome the pain and called her inner self to help. She heard him tell her about the 72 hours of pain and all that, but she didn't respond. She had only screamed once, and that would be all he would get from her. Her inner self would respond for her and saw that she was materializing behind the Uchiha as she rose from the ground.

From within the Tsukuyomi, Itachi could control all, but he didn't expect for someone else to be able to appear. He didn't feel the chakra, but he did feel the sudden pain in his own stomach and looked down to see a sword protruding from it. He turned his head and came face to face with an older and slightly different copy of the girl on the cross. The sword was pulled from his stomach and he turned his attention to the girl with her weapon drawn and his blood dripping from the tip.

"I've been waiting for you, Itachi Uchiha. I must say that it has been a long time. You must be confused since there are two of me within a world that you command. And that's simple really, I have two different personalities, but the other one only comes out when I'm brought into the Tsukuyomi. Since we have a nice three days to get to know one another, I think I will start with myself. My name is Sakura Haruno and the girl on the cross is only my transformed state to hide my real age. Who you see in front of you currently is my real age," said Sakura as she looked at the Uchiha as he took in all the information. She wasn't disappointed when he asked his question since she did play off his like for solving puzzles.

"If that is true, then how in the real world did the sharingan not pick up on you having a changed appearance using genjutsu? The sharingan is able to break any genjutsu," spoke a very slightly confused Itachi. He didn't like to be confused in any situation and tried to avoid it when possible. Confusion could always get you killed in battle. He placed his hand over the wound the other copy of the girl had given him.

"That's easy, I created a genjutsu that can not be detected around my body unless I let it be known. It was something that I had help creating before a friend of mine died. Instead of the genjutsu being used to confuse the enemy, I made it where it hides what I don't want others to see. The chakra is dispersed evenly over the body and instead of covering the person; it's absorbed in the skin and morphs the body back to another form. It takes such a little amount of chakra that it's not picked up by the sharingan or the byakugan. Is there anything else you would like to know about it before I finish telling you what needs to be said?" asked an impatient Sakura, who was tapping her foot on the ground and stopped when she noticed her younger self smirking at her. She knew it was childish, but she couldn't help it and she stuck her tongue out at herself.

Itachi listened and was baffled that there was a genjutsu that could beat the two most powerful blood limits within the Leaf Village. He turned and locked eyes with the older girl and saw within her eyes his own, the sharingan. _'That's not possible, only the Uchiha clan can use the power of the sharingan, but somehow she has acquired it. I wonder if she is like Kakashi, but who would she have gotten them from?'_

"I see that you have been observant, but no one ever said you weren't. I gained them from someone precious to you. They were a gift, from him, before his death. I would tell you more, but you do not trust me and I, you. This land is familiar, but not. The people are the same, but the circumstances are different, but time flows steady," said a smirking and mysterious Sakura. She knew that she probably confused him, but he would remember what she told him and work on its meaning later. She watched as Itachi's wound started to heal itself. _'Good, I want him in top condition when he fights.'_

Itachi looked at Sakura with a slight smirk on his face. She couldn't have gotten them from the person precious to him since he had just seen him this morning and he was fine. _'This girl has gone off the deep end, if she thinks I will believe her.'_ "That is where you are wrong, I have nothing that is precious to me and if you are referring to my weakling of a brother, you are mistaken. He is just a means to which I plan to test my power on later," said an uncaring Itachi as he turned to once again face the younger girl upon the cross; only to face the older Sakura standing in front of him now.

When Itachi turned his back, Sakura disappeared and reappeared in front of him. She watched as a slight hint of shock registered in his eyes. Raising the sword she pointed it at his chest and smirked. She was looking forward to getting a good workout; even if it was from within the Tsukuyomi. "Since we have seventy-two hours to visit, how about we take this up a notch," said an excited Sakura as she disappeared and kicked him into the many crosses within the red landscape. She started to walk towards the Uchiha and was smiling all the way, "Oh and Itachi, I don't play nice."

Itachi got up from the ground in time to dodge the needles that were sent at him from his opponent. He didn't know who she thought she was but he was going to end this fight and take her attitude down a few notches. He completed the hand signs for a genjutsu that he had copied from the kunoichi earlier. He disappeared and appeared out of the top of the tree with his sword ready to pierce her heart. What he didn't expect was for her to pull the same move he did. Releasing the genjutsu he fired some fireballs at her only for them to meet her fireballs.

Sakura matched Itachi's move for move and decided to up the game a little bit and ran towards him to fight taijutsu. He blocked her kicks and punches and visa versa, but her main objective was just to get close enough to him. Once their hands were locked and battling for dominance, Sakura looked into Itachi's eyes and smiled. "Hope you don't mind if I take you out with a bang."

With those words spoken Itachi's eyes widened as he pulled his body out of the way as the girl in front of his exploded. That was his move and no one was supposed to know it except him, so where did she learn it!? She had used it earlier, but he had figured it was just luck that she pulled it off. _'Now this girl is becoming more of a pest then I thought she would be.'_

Itachi really looked at the girl as she came out from behind the cross her younger self was tied to. He really studied her and he noticed that she wore a necklace around her neck that he had seen before, but only on Tsunade. The necklace had come out of from underneath her shirt and fell in-between her breast. So she had trained with the legendary Sannin Tsunade, but what did she do to earn the necklace that the sannin never parted with? Itachi dodged as she jabbed a sword towards his stomach and he jabbed his at hers. He would figure out her secrets before they left the Tsukuyomi.

For the next 71 hours, punches, kicks, ninjutsu and other battle tactics were used to try and bring the other down to submission. Too bad it was a battle of wills and neither was willing to give up and admit defeat. Each fighter pushed the other to limits they had not been pushed to for a while.

Sakura knew that time was running out if her count down was right about the time. They only had about another minute before the Tsukuyomi wore off. She jumped away from Itachi's kunai aimed at her head and landed on the cross that her younger self was sleeping on. Tapping her foot on her double's head woke the girl up, who smiled up at her older self. "So I take it I can get down now that you've had your fun playing in the graveyard," joked the younger smirking Sakura as she applied chakra to her arms and broke the bonds holding her.

Itachi watched as the younger girl broke the bonds like they were made of nothing but silly string or paper. When the two girls stood side by side, Itachi took a slight step back as he prepared for their attack, and he didn't have to wait long.

The younger Sakura created three clones of herself and ran towards him. He tried to find the difference in them, but they were perfect shadow clones. She mixed herself within the group and he dodged each of their hits until there wasn't a clone left. He turned his head just in time to see the younger one swing the cross towards his body. He went to move, but found his body glued to the ground. He looked down to see two hands wrapped around his ankles. He looked up in time to see the punch aimed for his face. He couldn't block its full impact, but he tried.

Older Sakura watched as one of the clones disappeared into the ground instead of disappearing like the others. When the clone was ready, she grabbed the ankles to keep him from moving. Younger Sakura picked up the cross she was tied to and swung it at the Uchiha's body and the older Sakura put chakra into her fist and ran towards the man. He was in for one huge hurt. He looked up just as the cross nailed him in the ribs and his arms blocked most of the force from the punch, but it still connected with eighty percent of its power.

When the hits connected was the time that the Tsukuyomi came to an end, but not before both parties were forced apart and they both hit the trees behind their bodies. Itachi looked up from his spot as he forced his body up from the ground. He watched as the younger girl stood up with no problem and smirked at him and held her hand out in front of her with five fingers. When she stopped her count out loud and then lowered her hand did he feel the excruciating pain in his head and behind his eyes His head felt like it was going to explode and he closed his eyes momentarily. When he finally opened his eyes after a few seconds, he found her still standing against the tree and was smirking. He noticed that his clone was about to leave and decided that it was time to leave and think on all the information he had learned from her. He knew when it was better to leave and that time was now. He turned to leave and as he did he heard her words as he disappeared from the trees.

Sakura smiled and stood up and counted down from five. When she reached five, she knew his headache had finally kicked in. When he started to leave she spoke where only he would hear her words, "I told you if you took me within the Tsukuyomi you would get a headache. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, you didn't learn your lesson the last time I told you either. Just so you know, I told you I don't play nice. Just a note, while an olive branch isn't always visible, it's always there waiting. Another thing you should know Itachi, everyone has something precious to them that they would do anything to protect, whether it be memories, friends, treasure or family."

Sakura turned her head and watched as the two Akatsuki members left. She would meet them again, and this time she would be introduced to Itachi's partner. She just hoped since she won the last battle, she wouldn't get her ass handed to her next time. It was always how their sparring went. Only problem was that the third round was always decided who won and it was a sixty-forty change. She just wasn't looking forward to their next meeting, she still needed to give him the letter, and she took off and headed to meet up with Sasuke again. She needed to blow of some steam.

The next couple of days leading up to Naruto being gone, she hung out with the girls and trained with Sasuke when she wasn't doing her own training. Ryo contacted her and informed her that her sword was going to be ready in the next couple weeks. It was taking longer than he thought because he was taking his time. When she hung around with the girls, she got to know the boys better and that helped in befriending them. She already knew most of the boys within the rookie nine plus Team Gai, but she needed stronger bonds with them.

When she heard that Sasuke learned about his brother seeking Naruto out and left, she followed. She just didn't realize that it would be so fast. She was hoping for a little longer break, but there was nothing she could do about it. With her training at night to keep herself in shape, she was exhausted, but at least it kept the nightmares at bay.

She pushed herself to go faster since she was a little ways behind Sasuke and with his temper fueling his strength he would reach him faster. Sakura pushed more chakra into her legs to go faster; she had to get to him before he did something stupid like attack his brother and get his hand broken.

Sakura arrived in the town about two hours after Sasuke, but unlike him she knew what hotel and room the two were staying in. She ran towards the hotel and looked up and saw lightning coming from the window and knew she was too late. She jumped and was about to break the wall, when she was blasted backwards when the said wall explored. She dodged the debris and from her spot on the side of the building looked through the hole. She watched as Sasuke's wrist was broken and he was thrown away from Itachi. He started to walk towards his brother when she decided to interfere.

Itachi had known she was on the other side of the wall and when he had pushed Sasuke's attack to the wall, knew she would be caught in the debris. From the hole in the wall he spotted her standing on the side of the wall looking in. He wondered why she was there, but he didn't care, he was there to do a job and he was going to finish it. He heard the bones break in Sasuke's wrist as he broke it and threw him away from him into the wall. He turned and started to walk towards Naruto when she made her presence known to all the occupants in the hall.

Her outfit was the one from before when she had fought him in the forest and she wished she had more time to get better prepared for facing Itachi. When he was away from Sasuke enough, she disappeared and reappeared between Naruto and him. Over Itachi's shoulder Sakura saw that Sasuke was slowly making his way up from the ground. She turned her full attention to Itachi and smiled at him. "Itachi, I figured you were brought up better then this. Where are your manners and not introducing your friend and here I thought you were a gentleman? You do realize that you are going to be having one hell of a hotel bill when you leave after causing such damage," said a sarcastic Sakura as she placed one hand on her waist and the other was in front of her inspecting her nails.

She watched as Itachi attacked her and she blocked his hit to the stomach with her leg. When he pushed her back away from him she bent backwards to dodge the kunai aimed for her chest. Using this position to her advantage, she dropped all the way to the ground and kicked his feet out from under him. He started to fall backward and by the time she lunged at him he was already on his feet, and therefore managed to block both her punches. She pushed a little chakra into her arms for more strength and she saw that he took a step back to get a better balance.

Too bad she didn't think ahead or she would never have gotten her hands caught by the elder Uchiha.

Itachi knew that she was going to attack him head on and waited until everything was where it needed to be to win the match. When he finally had her hands in his, he fell backwards and used her own momentum against her as he kicked her in the chest up towards the ceiling.

Sakura couldn't do anything but try and block the hit, but Itachi's leg managed to get through her defenses and she was kicked and hit the ceiling. It wouldn't have been bad but she was tired, and had the air knocked from her lungs. As she came down from the ceiling she was then kicked in the stomach into the wall near Sasuke. Sakura's back hit the wall and she felt and tasted the blood leave her mouth. She knew that a lung must have been punctured, and she had quite a few ribs broken and cracked from his hits. She struggled to get up and looked up just as a hand wrapped around her throat, stopping the air from reaching her deprived lungs.

She put both hands up to try and get him to remove his from her throat. He brought his other hand up and she grabbed it with her other hand. "Let me go you ass," demanded a weakening Sakura as she felt the blood start to roll from the side of her mouth. When he still didn't let go, she applied pressure to his enclosed hand, but stopped when he followed her action with his hand on her neck. When he grabbed her other wrist with his hand she decided to get him another way. Using her one hand she completed the hand sign to split a needle out of her mouth that cut his check and landed just centimeters from Kisame's own head. Maybe it wasn't a smart idea but she didn't want to lose to him and when his eyes caught her she shut her eyes to avoid falling into the Tsukuyomi again.

Itachi didn't think that someone else could do one handed hand signs but the girl in front of him proved she could as she spit a needle at his face. He moved his head enough that the needle just cut his check. He could hear his teammate cursing in the background, but he didn't care. When their eyes locked for a moment he noticed within her eyes the color red. _'So, even in this world she somehow possesses the Sharingan. So where did she acquire them?'_ thought Itachi as he hit a pressure point in her neck and let her body fall against his.

Itachi let her gently drop to the ground and turned around in time to block his brother's weak attacks. If he compared the two the their abilities he would have to say that the kunoichi was a couple levels above his brother. He picked his brother up by the collar of his shirt and punched him in the stomach and into the wall near his teammate. He turned around and blocked Sakura's punch to his jaw, but he missed the one to the side of his face. He didn't know how she woke up so fast, but he would deal with her now, then his brother.

Sasuke attacked his brother when he knew this was suicide, but he was trying to help his teammate out. From his place on the ground he barely looked up through his bangs to see that Sakura had nailed him in the cheek with one of her hits. He barely smirked when he felt the sudden urge to vomit and he did on his side. He wiped his mouth when he locked eyes with Naruto who was still within the room's doorframe. Naruto was going to attack when Sasuke slightly shook his head.

Naruto watched from the sidelines, as his two teammates were beaten up by Sasuke's older brother and he did nothing to stop it. He would respect Sasuke's wishes but it was killing him not to help out and he knew that the next time he met Itachi he would kill him.

Sakura felt some of the bones in her hand break that Itachi had caught, but she smiled sweetly when her other hit him in the check. He didn't look too happy but she didn't care, she didn't like that he had knocked her out and then she had to unlock the pressure point so she could wake up.

She knew she was out of chakra except what she had stored up and she was not about to use that until later when it was absolutely necessary. She locked eyes with Itachi and she didn't like what she was seeing, but knew there was no way she could stop it. He was going to use her in some way to torture and torment Sasuke. Even without chakra, she still fought against her captor but he slowly backed her into a small doorway. It didn't matter what she did at the moment since he could over power her. She felt like a new born kitten.

Itachi slowly backed Sakura up into the wall and had her on the other side of the door with her back facing his partner and her two other teammates. There would be another way to get Sasuke angry at him and she would make the perfect weapon to drive his hatred higher. Itachi pushed his body against the kunoichi and he felt her stiffen against him. He brought his head down towards her neck and blew upon her heated skin and he felt her shutter. He would admit that she did have a body that many men would want in their women, but he wasn't one of them. He looked over her shoulder and saw that Sasuke was fighting to get up from the ground, but he wasn't succeeding very well. He saw that Sasuke looked up and decided to push him even more and placed his mouth next to her ear and just lightly brushed his lips against her skin. To Sasuke it would look completely different and that was what he wanted.

Sasuke fought to get his body to work, but he couldn't seem to and when he finally did manage to stand up with the wall as support, he stopped. Right in front of him he watched as Itachi placed his lips against Sakura's ear and nipped it. _'Why that bastard! How dare he touch her in that way,'_ yelled Sasuke within his mind and he attacked his brother in a blind rage.

Sakura felt his breath against her ear and she couldn't control as her body shuttered at his breath tickling her. She knew there was nothing else she could do, but whisper in his ear before the darkness she had been fighting overcame her. "I knew you were a bastard Itachi, but to do this is even a new low for you. I just hope the next time you and I meet that you have gotten the Hokage's letter. Know this, Itachi, you just pushed your brother too far and he will now embrace the darkness, the same darkness that you hoped he would never seek out." And with those words past her lips she embraced the darkness and welcomed its embrace and just maybe she could finally catch up on her sleep that she needed.

Itachi didn't know what her words meant, but he allowed her unconscious body to fall to the floor and he turned his complete attention to his brother. It did not take much to take Sasuke down since he was running into the situation in a blind rage. Itachi punched Sasuke in the stomach again but this time he used the wall to give him more force.

Sasuke slumped over his brother's hand, and had more blood fly out of his mouth onto Itachi's already red and black cloak. Sasuke couldn't move from his position against the wall. He went to look up when his neck was grabbed and his body was brought up eye level with Itachi's. Sasuke grabbed his brother's arm and tried to twist it, but all was in vain.

Itachi watched as his pathetic brother struggled against him and he brought his other hand up and hit Sasuke on the leaf symbol on his forehead protector. He finally caught Sasuke's eyes with his and pulled him into the Tsukuyomi, just like he did on the night he murdered the clan.

Now Itachi was known as a sadist whenever he was in battle, but when he brought victims into the Realm of the Moon, he was the devil. He tortured Sasuke with the death of the clan over and over again, but Sasuke to some point stopped acknowledging the blood of the clan. So, Itachi switched to his final form of torture that he knew would get his brother pissed.

Sasuke kept seeing the blood, death and slaying of his family and after a while he just blocked everything out and went into a trance. That trance was broken when he heard her voice calling his name. Sasuke opened his eyes to see Sakura being held by his brother in nothing more than a thin sheet. Sasuke locked eyes with Sakura who fought against her captive, but he was stronger then her in her current state. Sasuke lunged at his brother but found that he could not move. He looked down and noticed that he was chained to the floor in his parent's master bedroom. He looked up and saw that Itachi had chained Sakura to the bed and had removed the sheet to show her bare flesh. Sasuke fought the bonds holding him and yelled out for Sakura to fight it, but no words escaped his mouth.

Itachi looked at his brother and saw him fighting the chains and turned his attention to the woman on the bed. She really was beautiful; it was a shame that she was going to be used for this purpose. Itachi slowly moved his hand and touched her face and he watched as she moved her face away from his hand. He smirked, it really was fun to torture people in this world and this time there was no other personality to save her. He ran his hand lightly over her chest, but he never touched her breast. Her legs really were long and strong and he loved the feel of her silken skin against his calloused fingers. He touched the inside of her legs, but never ventured higher than her thigh. Even he had grounds he would never cross without permission from a willing participant. It really was too bad that Sasuke didn't know that Itachi never touched his teammate intimately.

Sakura knew that the feeling she was experiencing was not her own and knew that he was making her feel emotions she didn't want to express. As his touch slid over her skin she could not stop the cries or moans of pleasure that left her mouth. She was thankful that he never touched her breast or her upper thigh, but knew that Sasuke didn't know that. She looked over at Itachi and saw that he had removed a kunai from his sleeve and started to cut Sakura's wrists and legs. As the blade cut into her skin Sakura cried out in pain because the metal was burning hot and it left welts.

Sasuke could feel the blood running from his bloody and raw wrists, but he didn't stop. He didn't like that Sakura was being abused in front of his eyes. To him this was worse than seeing the clan killed over and over again. "Let her go, you bastard! I'm the one you want, not her!" yelled Sasuke to his brother who turned around holding the bloody kunai in his hand. Sasuke watched as droplets of blood fell to the floor, droplets of Sakura's blood.

Itachi faced his brother and slowly walked towards him. Once he was in front of him he placed two fingers upon the bloody kunai and wiped it on his fingers. Those two fingers he placed on Sasuke's check and it slowly rolled down his check, mixing with his tears, tears of blood. Itachi leaned forward where Sasuke could only hear his voice. "Foolish little brother, I plan to bend her to my will and there is nothing you can do to stop it," said a smirking Itachi as he slowly stood up, turned and walked back to his prey. His silent observer fought with renewed vigor to break his bonds.

Sasuke watched as his brother walked away from him to Sakura. He wanted to kill his brother. Watching his teammate being touched was making his blood boil, and wished he could use the mark upon his neck. When he didn't feel the power, he screamed in his head since his voice couldn't be heard. _'I'm going to kill you!'_

This torture to both parties continued until the seventy-two hours were up and both were released from the realm. Sasuke cried out in anguish as he was finally pulled from the vision and slumped against the wall. Sakura still within the darkness never moved for the eye to see, but her muscles had become stiff and ready for action regardless of her being unconscious.

Jiraiya had arrived just as the two teammates were pulled into the Tsukuyomi and watched the drama unfold that Sakura had told him about. The cries of pain that Sasuke let out had Naruto's resolve finally shattered and he attacked Kisame and Itachi. The battle played out as Sakura described it and this time he was prepared and didn't get kicked in the face by Gai, luckily.

Gai didn't come alone like Sakura mentioned he would, but he was not going to complain. He had a task to complete and he couldn't be watching over Sakura, so he gave her over to Asuma. Gai and Asuma would take the two back to the hospital and would await Tsunade's arrival.

Before Naruto and Jiraiya left he promised his two teammates that he would bring the lady back to the village and he would become stronger for them. Naruto now was more determined to get stronger; he didn't want to see Sasuke and Sakura get hurt like that again. He would become stronger and he vowed to keep his promise, since he never went back on his words.

Jiraiya and Naruto left to go finish their journey to find Tsunade and would complete it just as Sakura had predicted. Jiraiya wasn't surprised after a while and now knew what Sakura had meant by Naruto just being himself. _'That brat really is a one of a kind. I wonder what other wonders you will work on this hardened world. Who else will you change,'_ thought Jiraiya as he followed beside his old teammate and her assistant and watched as Naruto ran ahead of them. Jiraiya couldn't wait to get back to the village and have her heal the people that needed healing. He needed to know what else was going to happen and what else he was going to be expected to do. Jiraiya turned his attention to his old teammate and wondered what Sakura's next step with was going to be. _'Are you going to tell her your secrets or are you going to let time run its course for now? But, knowing you Sakura, you will wait until you're ready. The troubles for the leaf are just beginning.'_

*~*~*~*Back in Konoha*~*~*~*

Asuma and Gai brought the two teammates to the hospital to be looked at after they returned to the village. The doctors that looked at them said that both of them had been exposed to the same thing that Kakashi had been, only it looked like it was slightly worse. They said that they would need to wait for Tsunade to return to heal them.

Sasuke and Sakura were put in the same room. A week went by with nothing changing in the two patients' status. A nurse was checking Sasuke's vitals when she heard something behind her. The nurse turned around, only to scream and drop the tablet she was carrying. In front of her was the female teammate of Team 7 awake and holding her head in her hands. The nurse ran over to her to push her back down so she could lie down, but Sakura refused to lie back down.

"I'm fine. Can I have some water please?" Asked a tired Sakura softly since her throat was dry and sore from disuse. When the nurse left to get the water Sakura turned her attention to the bed beside her and saw Sasuke_. _She felt her heart tighten in her chest. _'I'm so sorry Sasuke, if I had known that he would use me against you then I never would have showed up.'_ Her hands clenched the sheets in anger tightly. It took her a moment to notice that her clothes had been changed. _'Glad I used that genjutsu to cover up those markings so people wouldn't wonder what those marking were. Those would be questions, I'm not ready to answer yet.' _Sighing in relief, Sakura silently wished she could have been more help, then a hindrance. '_I'm still in the way it seems. I guess I need to be careful and try picking my battles better.'  
_

Seeing and feeling the warm lights she turned her attention to the window and saw the sun setting in the distance. Out there in the distance she hoped that Jiraiya and Naruto succeeded in getting Tsunade to come with them. Somewhere, in the mountains Itachi was hopefully reading the Third's letter and he would meet with her again. "Next time you and I meet you ass, I'm going to get even. That's a promise," mumbled Sakura under her breath as the nurse returned with her water. She wouldn't stay in the hospital long; she had some things to get ready and some people to go see. A slightly lift of the lips graced her face as she looked forward to getting even. _'Payback's going to be a bitch.'_

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Authors Note:**

Well Itachi finally makes his entrance; Sakura and Itachi get into a fight. Then the two get into another one in the last of the chapter. Now Itachi may seem a little bit of an ass as Sakura called him, but he does have a front to put on in front of his brother. I hope this eased peoples craving for Itachi to finally appear and guess what? He will now be in about all the rest of the chapters from here on out. There will be more tension between Sakura and Itachi later as the stories progress since she having to earn his trust, and there will be some interesting moments later. :D

People might be wondering why she hasn't used the bloodline traits she was given yet, well she wants to keep them a secret until later. She does use them here and there, but nothing real visible where other people will notice. I also do not want to turn Sakura into a superhuman who can not be beat, I want to make her as human as I can, but still strong and trying not to make her perfect.

Am I pacing the story well, or what? Tell me what you guys think.

Who saw that she was going to tell Jiraiya about her abilities? Now can you guess who is next on that list and it should be easy? Until next later my dear readers!

Recommend Read-of-the-week  
Sakura/Itachi  
Last Name by Cloudmaiden Nephele  
**Summary-** Sakura Haruno, respected medic-nin of Konoha, or at least, that is what she was once called. Now she doesn't even know her own last name.


	10. The Chosen Path we all Must Walk pt 1

_**Chapter 10- The Chosen Path we all Must Walk**_

In Rain Country, if people knew where to look, they would find themselves dead before they had the chance to speak of what they found. From within the village centered in the middle of Rain Country sat the headquarters for the organization known as the Akatsuki. From within their sanctuary each member had their own little piece of heaven that no other member dared to enter. In his room, Itachi could let his guard down completely, since he placed many traps all over his room to ensure his secrets were never found. Not that they would find any, since he burned all evidence containing his secret before it could be found and used against him or his village.

Itachi sat on his black, silk covered bed; the only link to his old home and life. Itachi looked down at the letter in his hands again to make sure that he was reading everything correctly since his sight was deteriorating. _'So the girl that he must speak of is the one that I fought within the Tsukuyomi. I wonder if she is who he says she is. I believe another visit with her is in order. But, will she be willing to talk? The last time we left each other, we were not on pleasant grounds,'_ thought Itachi as he pinched the bridge of his nose, desperately wishing the migraine would ease up. The migraine would never fully leave since he always had one; ever since he started to heavily use his sharingan for his clan.

Itachi got off the bed and stood in front of the only window within the stone haven and faced the direction of the village. The rain was falling like it always was and it was times like this that Itachi missed the village that he was raised in. It was during those moments of reminiscing that Itachi remembered the words that the kunoichi had spoken upon their first meeting when he left. _'While an olive branch isn't always visible, it's always there waiting.'_ Could she have known this would happen and saw fit to offer a way for them to speak on even ground?

She really was a puzzle, and he was having a hard time getting all the pieces to fall into place. He had already gathered that they had somehow met before, but he couldn't recall ever meeting her in battle nor on any of his travels. She knew the powers of the sharingan as well as the Tsukuyomi. She wasn't a novice to genjutsu and was older then she portrayed to the public. But what really bothered him was her having the sharingan and her saying that she gained it from the only person precious to him. She spoke in riddles, and if he wanted the answers that the Third promised she could give, then he had a meeting to prepare for. The letter within his fist erupted into flames and burned to ash, so the enemies' eyes would never see the secrets. It would take time, but he wanted answers.

*~*~*~*Back in Konoha*~*~*~*

Sakura was discharged from of the hospital after she persuaded the nurses that she was indeed fine and could take care of herself. She found out from the nurse who had brought her in after her collapse during training with the Uchiha, _'So they want to keep it under wraps what happened to Sasuke and I. Well at least I wasn't out that long, only five days since my chakra was healing the damage the sharingan caused me. It does help knowing everything about those eyes of his and having the same eyes since it cuts down the damage sustained to the body,' _thought Sakura as she walked along, within her own world. Before she realized it she was in front of her apartment and looked down at the clothes the hospital gave her to wear home. They really were hideously bland clothes since hers were still dirty. It wasn't like the hospital was trying to earn points in the fashion pageant for their patients.

Once in her apartment, she discarded the clothes at the door and headed right for the bathroom to shower. While nurses did give patients sponge baths, nothing ever beat the feeling of a real shower and bath; they always made her feel cleaner. After her shower she walked out of the bathroom in a towel and headed for the closet to retrieve some suitable clothes for her meeting she had planned. It was a little before schedule, but she couldn't afford for him to get too snoopy and bring others into his plans.

After deciding on a simple dress, she wrapped her arms, wrists and legs. Reaching for the choker, Sakura caressed the stone as it twinkled at her and placed it around her neck. She remembered when she first got the chocker. It was bittersweet, but it was a gift from both of them and that alone was what made it special to her. Turning away from the mirror Sakura checked her reflection one last time before she left. On the way out the door, Sakura figured it might help if she grabbed the records book from her room. With the book safe in hand she locked the door and headed towards the one stop that she might find him at.

After saying hello to a couple of the people of the street that wished her a hello, she finally reached her destination at the steakhouse. Walking in, she found the table that Team 10 always occupied whenever they ate at the restaurant. Seeing only Shikamaru, Chouji and Asuma at the table Sakura figured that Ino must have been helping at the flower shop.

"Hey you guys, how ya doing," said Sakura as she stopped by their table, leaning her hip against the side of the booth. She observed Chouji feeding his face and the other two were locked in a game of Shougi. Getting a closer look at the board she spotted that Asuma was going to lose if he kept up with his current strategy; he was playing right into Shikamaru's trap. As she watched Asuma move his piece after studying the board she knew that he had been had. It really was a fun game to play and it always helped to improve strategies. She and Shikamaru had always played the game in the future and their games could go on for days, but in the end he always did beat her. She was proud to say that she had won one game once against him, but she chalked it up to him not paying attention since it was an easy win. He never denied her claim. Remembering that game did bring a smile to her face.

"Hey Sakura. If you're looking for Ino, she's at the flower shop since they got a new shipment of flowers in," said Chouji with a mouth full of food. He swallowed and started to dig in again; he did not want anyone else to eat his food and since Asuma was paying he was going to eat.

Shikamaru looked up from the board after putting the pieces at their starting point and faced Sakura. "I hear you and Uchiha got into a heavy sparring session and you two passed out. How troublesome," said a very lazy Shikamaru as he took a bite of his food before Chouji ate all of it. It was the talk of the village and everyone wanted to known the details, but since Gai and Asuma weren't talking people were left to speculating what had happened.

Sakura turned to look at Shikamaru and smiled sheepishly and nodded her head to answer his question. "It's embarrassing now that I look back on it. We decided all bets were off and were going to go all out in our sparring match and well…" Sakura blushed tapped her fingers together, "...you know the rest. It was a draw considering we both passed out," said Sakura still tapping her fingers together in embarrassment. If people were going to buy the story she had better act embarrassed. Because if it ever did happen, again, it would have merit since it was embarrassing. "You know how Sasuke is about getting stronger and with Naruto gone he had some major stream to blow off." Well it was true to some point because he would have been blowing stream off because he wasn't asked to go on the mission.

She finally turned her attention to Asuma and smiled at him. She really did need to thank him since he was the one to bring her back home. There was one thing that was bothering her though--if he went with Gai and in her world he hadn't, what else had she accidentally changed? "I never did thank you properly for bringing me to the hospital Asuma, so thank you. I really owe you one since we were being two stupid teens not thinking," said Sakura smiling appreciatively as she quickly grabbed a cooked beef stick before Chouji could.

Chouji looked at Sakura in shock with tears quickly appearing in his eyes. He wanted that piece since it was the last beef stick on the grill. Sakura smiled teasingly at him and threw the piece at him after she held it near her mouth for a moment. He caught the food between his chopsticks and smiled in thanks at Sakura. If it had been anyone else they would have eaten the beef stick just to taunt him, but she didn't. His respect for her grew a little bit more. He remembered when she earned Shikamaru and his respect all in one shot. She spoke of Shikamaru's brains and his strength.

*~*Flashback*~*

*~*~*~*A couple days before Sound Attacks*~*~*~*

Shikamaru and Chouji were out getting the groceries for a squad family BBQ when the two separated to get their lists done. They both split Ino's list since she was busy helping her mother get everything ready at the house.

Chouji was walking down the beef aisle putting the needed food in the basket. Once it was full, he handed it over for the person to send to the front for payment. He had just finished getting the beef when he started on the pork section when he heard pig noises behind him. He turned around and saw a kid about ten walking around making pig noises and looking at him. Some people laughed at the kids antics while others shook their heads in disappointment, but more laughed. Chouji was use to getting this treatment since he had gotten most of his life, but it never made the hurt any more bearable. He saw the kid turn around again and start laughing, when a hand came from behind the aisle and smack the kid in the back of the head, hard.

The kid turned around to see who smacked him to see a girl come around the corner and was glaring heatedly at him. The girl had pink hair and a wide forehead, and on that large forehead was a Konoha headband; she was a ninja. "What did you do that for?" demanded the kid rudely as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, I can think of a couple of reasons, but I'll give you two. One, it's not polite and two, you should respect those who are from strong clans," said Sakura angrily to the brat. Sakura really hated it when kids had to be so rotten to people just because they were different from them.

"He he he, ya a strong clan ya right. A clan of big, fat losers. He doesn't deserve to be a ninja. Ninja aren't fat," laughed the kid and pointed his finger back at Chouji, who still hadn't said anything to the kid to defend himself. The kid continued to laugh, while everyone else was quiet as they watched the drama unfold.

Sakura's anger was already pushing the limit, but to make fun of a person she considered family she smacked the kid, again. This time she put more power in the hit where the kid fell on his butt and was rubbing his head, tears appearing in his eyes. "I will not repeat myself, you little brat. He," and pointed to Chouji, "is not fat! He just happens to be muscular, big boned and besides, size and height, it doesn't matter. It's the Will of Fire in them that counts," lectured a pissed off Sakura. Sakura was not happy with this child and she wasn't afraid for the people to see her cause a scene in the market. It was brats like that that made it hard wanting to protect the village from enemies.

She watched as the kid got up off the ground and ran off crying, yelling that a bully hit him. Sakura didn't care if she was called a bully. She knew who the real bully was and sometime that kid would get put in his place. Sakura turned her attention to Chouji and noticed that Shikamaru had joined his friend at his side. She walked over to them, "You ok, Chouji?" asked a concerned Sakura. She knew that being called those rotten names never did anything to help his self-esteem.

Chouji looked at Sakura and nodded his head towards her. He didn't think she would defend him so passionately like she did since she was so new to the village. He just assumed that she would make fun of his weight just like Ino allows did, and still does time to time. Chouji was lost in thought, but was rattled out of it, by a BBQ Potato Chip bag. He looked up and saw Sakura smiling at him and caught the bag she tossed to him. He looked at her weirdly and wanted to know why she tossed the bag at him. He had never told her that these were his absolute favorite food. It wasn't like they really talked much since it was usually Ino she was talking to.

"I hear that you really like that type of potato chip, and wanted to give you a pick me up. Don't worry about what that brat said, Chouji; he doesn't know what a great guy you are. Well, I have more food to get for tonight's dinner, so I'll see you later," said Sakura smiling at the pair, as she turned and started to walk away. As if remembering something she stopped and faced the two again. "The chips are already paid for and Shikamaru… good luck. I know you'll do great in your match against Temari of the Desert. You are a genius, so I can't wait to see you in action again. Nor what you have up your sleeve." With that said Sakura turned around and walked away from them. What they didn't see was her face; it was all grins until she reached home.

*~*End of Flashback*~*

Shikamaru spoke highly about her, since he went on the mission to retrieve Sasuke from Gaara. Unlike most people she didn't talk bad about him since he liked to be lazy when he could be. She was always saying that he was one of the best ninja she knew and felt privileged to call him a friend. She kept telling him that if she was ever in danger that she wanted him in her corner since she knew that he was powerful and strong.

Sakura giggled at his antics and faced Asuma again. "Hey Asuma, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind showing me where Kurenai lives. I wanted to ask her for help on a genjutsu that I'm learning, since I keep getting it wrong," pleaded Sakura, giving Asuma what Ino called puppy eyes. She watched as he looked away from her face, but it didn't matter because he kept looking from the corners of his eyes at her. Wish it to stop.

Chouji and Shikamaru laughed at their teacher's predicament. Ino always pulled that same face on him when she wanted her way, and it mostly if not always worked. When they saw Asuma sigh, they knew he was had and that Sakura had won, and she didn't even have to use the water works.

Asuma knew that as soon as Sakura gave him the puppy face as he dubbed it, he was beaten. He didn't want to take her to Kurenai, but maybe he could use this to his advantage. Asuma sighed and agreed to show her where she could find the genjutsu mistress.

After paying the HUGE bill that Chouji had worked up, he told his students that he would be around later and to get some training done. He watched as the two walked off and he headed in the direction of Kurenai's apartment and had Sakura walking beside him. Not wanting to put his partner in any danger if there was going to be any, he started to walk towards his apartment. If there was going to be a battle, it was going to be on his terms on his ground. No conversation was made and he was glad because it gave him time to gather his thoughts and strategies if things didn't go as planned. If she was a spy, he would alert someone, and if she wasn't, then at least he didn't cause alarm.

Sakura followed Asuma and when they didn't head in the direction of the apartment she wanted to go to, she smiled. _'I figured you wouldn't put Kurenai in danger, Asuma. You love her too much,'_ thought Sakura as she followed beside him.

Once they reached his apartment, she followed him in the door and turned around to see him lock it. If she really wanted out of here she could break it down and he knew that, so he was showing her some trust. Too bad what she had to say needed to stay in the room between the three of them. "I know you do not trust me, Asuma and I have not given you much of a reason to trust me since I arrived. I happened to show up around the time of the attack on the village, but this was the time that the tides of change started to shift into motion," said a sad Sakura as she walked to the nearest wall. Once she was close enough she started the hand signs for the jutsu she had performed in the Hokage's office. After she was done, she placed her hand on the nearest wall and watched as the wall glowed a faint green before disappearing. She turned around to face Asuma and saw that he didn't look too happy about what she had just done.

Asuma saw the hand signs but there was nothing he could do to stop her since if stopping it could result in death if the jutsu wasn't performed correctly. The jutsu surrounded the apartment and when it was finished sealing the walls it receded. He wasn't happy. If she was a spy she could kill him and no one would know before it was too late. _'I didn't see this coming in my evaluation of the problem. She has got to be a high level ninja to know and perform that jutsu perfectly,'_ thought Asuma as he glared at the girl in front of him. He would defend his village the best he could, even if it killed him. "What is your purpose in the village?" Demanded Asuma as he reached for his chakra knives to defend himself. If she tried to attack him, he would at least have something to attack with and took his stance.

Sakura watched as he reached for his chakra knives and she held her hands out so he saw that she held nothing in her hands. It stopped him from reaching for his weapon, but it didn't mean that he moved his hands away from where they were. "Asuma, I mean no harm to you or your lover. I came to you in good faith that you would hear me out since you have been patient," pleaded Sakura, as she looked Asuma in the eyes. She dropped her guard and allowed her eyes to show her tortured soul. She didn't want to fight both of them because nothing would be gained by fighting.

Asuma was taken back by the eyes that stared back at him. They held so many emotions, but the most pronounced was misery. _'What in the world has this girl seen to cause this,'_ thought a astonish Asuma as he took a couple steps backwards only to run into someone behind him. He turned swiftly to face the attacker thinking she had made a shadow clone, only to find his partner and lover looking at the girl. _'Wait, she said earlier about my lover. She knew Kurenai was here, but never let it be known until she had the jutsu in place. I didn't even know Kurenai was here.... so that means that she can pick up chakra signatures that are well hidden. She also gave me the advantage over this situation; why?'_ "What are you doing here, Kurenai?" Asked a surprised Asuma as he turned where he could still see the girl, who hadn't moved from her spot.

"I was here waiting for you Asuma. I wanted to surprise you and when I heard you coming I saw that you brought her with you. What's going on, Asuma, and why are you demanding answers from her?" asked a bewildered Kurenai as she stared at standing still Sakura. The only problem was that the Sakura she knew didn't have eyes that held such strong emotions as the ones currently in her eyes. The Sakura she knew always had laughter or happiness shining within her eyes, and she never failed to cheer her fellow ninjas and friends up when ever they were down. _'Maybe this is a reason to want answers after all.'_

Asuma told his lover about the girl that he met during the second part of the Chuunin Exams and how she left. As he told her about his suspicions he noticed that his lover too was becoming guarded with her stance. All he had to go on was what he had seen and some of his suspicions concerning no one seeing Jada since the Forest of Death. The two faced Sakura fully and were on guard for anything she might do to harm them.

Sakura silently listened as Asuma told his lover about her arrival and what he felt she was doing in the village_. 'How wrong you are, Asuma. I'm not here to destroy the village…'_ tears started to well up in her eyes, _'I came to save it,'_ thought Sakura as she let the tears fall and her body started to shake. The memories that she had held at bay for so long finally rushed to the surface and started to overwhelm her. Sakura fell to the ground on her knees. She tightly closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself to protect herself and give some comfort.

Behind her closed eyes, she saw the destruction of her home and the events that followed. The battles shortly after Tsunade's death were the worst. Kakashi, who had been captured, was tortured for a week, then skinned alive in front of his wife, as she was raped by Orochimaru. It was that same week that she was tortured then she lost her innocence to that freak of a medic. He raped her after his mission to take the byakugan failed since she had set Hinata and Neji free. He took his revenge out on her body and it was because of him that she held so many scars. He wouldn't let them heal properly since he wanted them as a reminder of his victory over her. After he was done with her he left her to die in the laboratory, but he underestimated the Will of Fire. She was a wreck when she was finally saved and it took months for her not to flinch being near men.

From thereon the memories turned darker and bloodier. The slaughter or slow slaying of her friends as each one fell in battle, left marks within her already broken heart that would never fully heal. The memories of death haunted her dreams and never allowed her to sleep peacefully unless she was completely drained. She felt the weight start to consume her entire body and she let it. The air left her lungs, her body hurt all over and she screamed bloody murder.

As Sakura fell to the ground the two watched as the cried and she shook like a leaf. It seemed only like a moment had gone by when the scream left Sakura's mouth forcing both occupants to cover their ears. When the scream finally died down in volume and stopped, it was Kurenai that noticed Sakura had finally passed out on the floor. She was about to go to the girl when Asuma stopped her, shacking his head and they waited until she came to.

It would be another three hours before they would get their answers from the girl, but they didn't mind since it gave them time to think. When Sakura started to wake from her slumber, she jolted up and quickly assessed where she was. Once she figured out where she was, she calmed down and turned to face the two adults waiting.

Sakura wiped the remains of the tears and sighed. It was never racking on her emotions; remembering those memories. Sakura attempted to stand, but fell back down. After a couple attempts she stood up from the floor on unsteady legs. Sakura took the chair nearest to her and got as comfortable as she could and gathered her scattered thoughts. After a couple of silent moments she faced the pair and answered the question that Asuma had asked her in the very beginning. _'Time to gather that courage…well, what courage I have left at the moment.' _"I'm here on a mission. A mission to rewrite the past and hopefully stop the destruction of the Leaf Village," said a disheartened Sakura as she finally looked up to face the two and judge their reaction to her answer.

The two looked at each other and wondered what hospital had let this weirdo out into society. They faced her again and nodded their heads for her to continue. They wouldn't completely judge her yet. "If what you say is true them how do we know that you're telling us the truth and not some elegantly woven tale to convince us you're right?" Questioned a suspicious and on guard Asuma he looked into the eyes of Sakura once again.

"I do not have really anything that would give you one hundred percent proof that I am telling the truth. The only things that I can tell you are some information I know about the both of you. Asuma, you never really got alone with your father, so you left the village after you became a genin. You went to the temple where you became one of the twelve guardians, until just recently. Your father asked if you would come back and take on a genin team for the upcoming exams. When you were introduced to your team, you worked them hard since you wanted them to succeed. All you really ever wanted from your team was to go far since you saw within them the future generation of ninja that would one day surpass you. Kurenai, I do not really know much about you except that you look at Hinata like a mother does a child. I know you are not her mother, but you see yourself as hers since her father doesn't really see or acknowledge her. You are trying to take the place of both family members and you encourage her to do her best and you truly believe in her abilities. You know that her teammates are protective of her and know that they will always protect her, but you also know that they will help her become who she could be. You two have been in a relationship since Asuma returned from the fire temple, but you keep it hidden. In two and a half years you will secretly get married and have a child. The only sad part is that you do not get to see the birth of your child, Asuma, since you die in battle against one of the Akatsuki," said Sakura sorrowfully as a couple tears escaped their prison. It really was sad that he never got to see his child or Kurenai to watch her son grow up because both parents died before their time.

The two looked at each other and if one looked close enough there would be a slight blush dusting their cheeks. The first part of the information she gave wasn't knowledge that people would just read in a book, but information that people found through time and observation. The thought that kept running through their minds was how she would know such private information. Kurenai was the first to come out of her thoughts and spoke what was on their minds. "If that's true, then how do you know such things about us? It's not like it's public knowledge, so how did you find out?" Asked a genuinely concerned kunoichi and she wasn't the only one wondering since Asuma nodded in agreement.

Sakura had a feeling that this question would be asked eventually, so she was glad that she had brought the book with her. It would answer most if not all of their questions, but she knew that she would have to answer the questions the book could not. Sakura started to reach behind her back, when the two pulled their weapon and she stopped her movements. "I was just reaching for a book that I brought with me that was written by Shikamaru before his death. It's a records book of the battles we fought, but I guess you could call it a battle journal," said Sakura softly as she held still so she wouldn't provoke them.

"Where is the book? And I will get it for you so you don't try anything funny," said Kurenai sternly as she lowered her one hand so she could retrieve the book. Once Sakura told her where the book was, she pulled it out of the backpack, but not without some effort since the book was very heavy. Once the book was removed from the backpack, Sakura watched as they opened the book and began reading. During the three hours that they took to read just half the book, they would look up in disbelief, whisper, and then continue reading.

Sakura could feel the anger beginning to rise from one of the two and waited for it to happen and lowered her head. When the book was slammed shut, she didn't even try to stop the punched aimed for her face. Sakura took the hit in the cheek. She was roughly pulled out of her chair and felt a hand holding her slender neck, but she never fought back. Sakura opened her sad eyes and looked into the furious eyes of Asuma and she could see the tears in the corner of his eyes that he denied to let fall. Sakura raised her shacking hand not to stop him from choking her, but laid it gently on his wrist, "If you wish to kill me then you may, but it will not bring him back nor did he want to stop it. He knew what was going to happen, but yet…….," Sakura choked the words out despite the fact that she needed the air to live. She allowed the tears to fall once again,"…He did not want to stop it. He said that he had lived his life and it was time for the new generation to step up because they will be our future…our savors," said a breathless and weakening Sakura. Sakura cried remembering the Third's last words to her the night before the exams. She closed her eyes, welcoming death cold embrace. When she started to fall unconscious her throat was released and she was dropped to the ground. Sakura gasped, taking in the air that her lungs had been denied and opened her eyes to see the pair both looking at her.

"If he knew he was going to die, then why didn't he inform people so that we wouldn't have lost so many lives? He didn't need to die," demanded Asuma angrily as he wiped his cascading tears away. He felt the arms and warmth as he was being comforted by his love. He may not have gotten along with his father when he was around him, but damn it he was family. He could feel tears along his neck and knew that his love was weeping for his lose.

"I gave him that option Asuma. Do you think I liked seeing him die a second time and still knowing there was nothing I could do? Even with all my knowledge I still couldn't stop him, and he wanted history to continue on, as it should. With his passing comes something far greater than you can ever imagine, it accomplishes one of his greatest wishes. Tsunade will take her position as the Fifth Hokage and bring a new and brighter age to this village," said Sakura harshly, but was more disappointed in herself. She had tried everything she could to talk the Third out of going along with it but he couldn't be convinced to change his mind. In the end she had her first failure since coming back to the past. Sakura touched her bruised and sore neck and healed it. She slowly stood up from the ground and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going," demanded Asuma, as he and Kurenai stood up from the floor. They started to walk towards her when they found that their bodies were no longer their own to control. They looked down and noticed that their shadows were connected to Sakura's. The pair looked up in shock. Somehow Sakura knew the Nara family's Shadow Possession jutsu. Shifting their eyes from the shadows they raised them to the caster and saw the Sakura before them was not the one who they knew. The one in front of them was different. The Sakura they knew had long hair, not the short hair that they saw from the back.

Sakura slowly turned her body around, but allowed the pair to stay as they were so they could see her, the real her. When she turned around fully she saw that Asuma wasn't all that shocked about her look. What did acquire a reaction was when they noticed her eyes were different; they were no longer her emerald orbs. "I am leaving this apartment so I will no longer get strangled or used as a punching bag. I have a purpose that I came to fulfill and once it is done, then you have my permission if I am still alive or if you two still live. Only then can you two kill me if you wish or punish me as you see fit," said Sakura firmly as she locked eyes with the duo. She knew facing the two was going to be trouble, but she had no choice since they were always together.

Sakura turned her full attention towards Kurenai and she knew that she wanted answers. _'Too bad! You will have to wait and see,'_ thought Sakura as she activated her byakugan in front of the pair. "You, Kurenai, would know these eyes since you have taught her since she graduated from the academy. She gave them to me before she died in battle. You know what she told me before she died? She said, "Maybe with my gift to you, we might stand a fighting chance in this chaotic world. I know you will use my gift well." Those were her last words to me before she died in my arms from her wounds. If you want to call me a murderer then fine, because you know what….?" Demanded a hurting Sakura. Sakura pointed to herself to get her point across even more to the pair. "I am a murderer because I have killed thousands without a second or hesitant thought and I have had to kill some of my best friends to survive." With those hurt filled words spoken Sakura disappeared in a swirl of petals. With the caster of the jutsu gone, the jutsu followed.

The pair stood in shock still in the living room and stared at the spot that Sakura had once been standing in. Kurenai was the first to make a move. She turned around and picked up the book from the same table. She walked over to the table, not saying a word and opened it back up and started to read from its yellowed pages. She was determined to learn all she could from it and see if what the girl had said was true. Asuma didn't follow her right away, but went and stood near the window and looked at the Hokage Mountain with his father's face on it_. 'So, in the end old man, you knew, but didn't try and stop it. I do not know your full reasons behind many of the things you did in life, but maybe I will some day,'_ thought a mournful Asuma as he took a seat next to Kurenai and started to read the familiar writings of his student. The pair read into the night and early morning hours, never leaving the book or the story it told.

Two days after waking up in the hospital, Sakura was at the village gates to welcome back the travelers. Besides, she wanted to see Naruto again and ease his mind that she was fine. Knowing him he was probably driving everyone nuts talking about either ramen, Sasuke or getting home and healing people. _'But I can mainly see it being ramen on his mind. It's always ninety percent ramen and ten percent sparring, but when it's training, the percents are reversed. He is an easy book to read,'_ thought a smiling Sakura as she stood next to Kotetsu and Izumo, since they were on gate duty. It was early in the afternoon when the group appeared in the distance, but it was the loud voice that gave their position away. When the grouped stopped and were visiting with the two guards, Sakura crept up on Naruto and spooked him.

Naruto jumped into the air when he heard a voice behind him. When he finally turned around, he found nobody behind him, so he turned about and landed on his butt screaming. Naruto looked up into the smug face of Sakura as she offered to help him to his feet. Naruto was shocked that Sakura was up and walking around since the old lady said that only she could heal the damage that the sharingan had caused the three. Naruto wrapped his arms around his sister and held her close in fear that he was seeing things. "You alright Sakura? I thought you would still be in a coma," choked Naruto as he fought to keep the tears at bay, but failed miserably.

Sakura hugged Naruto tenderly and felt bad that he had to suffer and think the whole time that she was still in a coma, but there was nothing she could have done. "I'm sorry that I worried you so bad, Naruto. That was not my intention, but I had things to complete here in the village. And besides, the doctor said that I needed to take it," Sakura raised her hands and made quotation marks with her fingers, ""easy" since they didn't know the extent of the damage to my brain," said Sakura, who rolled her eyes, as she stepped back and faced the rest of the group.

She focused her attention on Jiraiya and nodded her head smiling, who nodded back. "It's good to see you again, Lord Jiraiya. I hope Naruto wasn't to much trouble for you on your journey," said a grinning and playful Sakura, who saw Naruto turn red out of the corner of her eye. It really was a lot of fun to tease her brother when she could. "Lord Jiraiya, I hate to be the barer of bad news, but you know that book you asked me to hold on for you?" Asked a very worried Sakura, who hoped he would understand her hidden meaning.

Jiraiya was curious what book she was referring to, when he finally understood what she was trying to imply. She needed to talk to him in private and he nodded his head. "Yes, it was the research for my new novel. Do not tell me that it got into the wrong hands?" Faked a ghost-faced sannin as he had tears running down his eyes.

"Well,…." Sakura allowed her one foot to drag in the dirt and her face turned bright red. "…. It kind of got legs and walked away into the hands of two love birds. They demanded to know if the information gathered in the book was accurate and when I told them it was, they kicked me out. They still have the book, and I needed your help since they have not left their apartment yet. They seems to still be considering the ideas, and I want to get it back before someone else sees the book you said to protect," said a blushing Sakura timidly as she still allowed her toe to play with the dirt and make designs. She hated talking in code, but she knew that he would know what she was getting at. He wasn't the number one devious researcher for nothing.

Jiraiya nodded his head to Sakura and huffed loudly. "Well, I guess it couldn't be helped. I am very popular with the ladies, so maybe she wanted to try out some of the positions. I do guarantee that my work is one hundred percent reliable," said Jiraiya proudly as he dodged a hit to the head, from one currently mad ex-teammate. "What was that for, Tsunade?" asked a pouting Jiraiya who was given a glare in return.

"Do not play dumb with me, Jiraiya!! What in the world were you thinking?" Demanded Tsunade as she pointed to Sakura. "How dare you give a minor some of your adult research," yelled an infuriated Tsunade. She got a good look at the girl and she had to say that she looked older than 14, but still held the innocence of a 12 year old. Tsunade turned her full attention to her teammate again and saw that he was currently in an argument with Naruto.

Sakura looked at Tsunade and walked up to her smiling. "Lady Tsunade, may I ask you a question and a favor? I know we have not met before, but I wish to get to know the Lady that I have heard a lot about," said a hopeful Sakura. When Tsunade nodded, Sakura heave a sigh of relief as she asked her question. "Would it be okay if I dropped by later in the day to give you something that the Third asked me to give to you? My favor is that you go to the hospital and heal my teammate and friends," pleaded a desperate Sakura as she allowed her eyes to tear up. After a while, Sakura caught the eyes of Shizune and noticed that she was trying not to laugh or giggle. Sakura really tried not to smile. But seeing Shizune again and her laughing caused her to break out in a giggle as well.

Tsunade watched as the girl before her broke out into laughter with her apprentice and she cracked a smile. Maybe she wouldn't mind being back in the village again. She nodded her head and agreed to Sakura's favor and headed in the direction of the hospital. She said farewell to the others as she headed to her new destination. Her assistant soon joined her, Ton-Ton and the knucklehead as she made her way to repair what damage had been done since the Sound attack.

When the three were far enough away Sakura yelled at Naruto, remembering what she wanted to tell him. "When Sasuke wakes up, tell him that I will see him after a bit. Could you tell him that please?" Pleaded Sakura as she yelled. Off in the distance she caught Naruto's smile and his thumbs up. She smiled knowing that he would remember and keep his word. Once they were out of sight she turned serious and at Jiraiya and pointed her head towards the woods. She slowly headed in the direction she wanted to go and he followed right beside her.

"So, who has the book that you are taking about? Could it be the two secret lovers that are trying to not let anyone know about their relationship?" Asked a puzzled Jiraiya, who was greeted with a nod in return. _'So she decided to bring them into the equation. I guess it's a good idea since I cannot always stay in the village and be her ears,'_ thought Jiraiya sadly as he looked as their surroundings change after they entered the forest. It did not take much for him to realize that she had placed a complex genjutsu over the area and noticed that they were near the back part of the Forest of Death. He stopped when he saw that she did as well. She turned to face him and got to see the byakugan evident in her eyes.

Sakura faced him and she wasted no time checking to see if there was anyone in the area that was a problem. When she noticed no one, but the one she wanted, she dropped her transformation genjutsu and before him was her older form again.

She didn't allow him much time to do much else as she attacked him head on with a chakra infused punch. She attacked him with multiple punches that he dodged, so she changed to her combo fighting. With each punch, Sakura finally saw an opening and took it as she kicked Jiraiya in the back of the leg, making him lose his balance. When he fell forward she made her clone come out of the ground and punch him in the jaw. She went to attack again when she found her legs wouldn't move and looked down.

Jiraiya took her accomplishments in battle to heart and knew that she would be a challenge to fight, but to actually be fighting her was something else. He knew that she was holding back because she didn't want to bring attention to them, as was he. When she managed to get him off balance and then hit in the jaw, he decided that he didn't want to be a punching bag for her anger. He smiled as he remembered he was that enough when he was younger for Tsunade. He completed his hand signs where she couldn't see them and watched as she was stuck to the ground with a mini version of the Swamp of the Underworld. Jiraiya landed on the edge of the swamp and smirked, only to see her smirking in return.

"Really Lord Jiraiya, do you think that I would be caught in this trap if I didn't want to? I will admit I was surprised, but I really must thank you since you just gave me an opening I wanted," said a smirking Sakura as she slammed her hands into the swamp and gathered it into her hands using her chakra. Once she had the desired amount she brought her hands out of the swamp and held the two balls of mud up. She looked at Jiraiya and saw that he was very confused, so she decided to explain.

"After your death, Naruto went into a deep depression, but with the help of his friends he was brought out of it. At the time you were teaching him this exact technique, and with you gone he had trouble mastering it. It was until a battle with Sasuke and myself that Naruto mastered it and learned something he could also use the swamp mud for," said Sakura as she brought the two hands together and started using the Rasengan in one hand while the other used Chidori. The mixing of the two powers was a sight that created beauty, and when the merging of the two elements and the mud was done; there in her hand was a sight to see. Within her hands were crystal clear kunai.

"How….how did you do that?" Asked a dumb founded Jiraiya, who was wondering how his idiot of a student was able to create a weapon of such beauty. His mouth just wouldn't shut. He never would have thought to use the swamp for such a thing.

Sakura giggled as she canceled the jutsu and walked towards him, only to stop once she was a couple feet from him. Sakura figured she better finish telling him about the kunai's. "Well, when you brought the swamp to the surface you pushed up minerals that are normally deep within the earth. Since I was in the swamp, I stuck my hands into it and used my chakra to gather the minerals I needed for my weapon. When I had the required amount, I used the Rasengan to mix the minerals together and the Chidori to bring them up to a temperature high enough to fuse them. I then used the Rasengan to shape the weapon, as I wanted. And this," holds up the weapon, "is the final product. Want to see what it can do?" Asked a very mischievous Sakura. She really was looking forward to seeing his reaction to her new toys.

"Sure, I might as well see what the idiot learned after my death….," said Jiraiya as the end of his words faded as he looked at the weapon now lodged into the tree's bark, near his cheek. His cheek had a small cut on it and when he locked eyes with Sakura he saw that she was not smiling.

"He may be an idiot now and a dead last, but when it counts people can count on him. He dedicated this technique to you in your memory and he was known for it in the future. Even with your death told of by Pein, Naruto took to heart your teachings and when people saw the crystal kunai they were usually dead or it was to late. The Lord's Charm is what he called it since you could charm your way into any trouble and out of it," said Sakura seriously as she lunged at him again, weapons drawn and he dodged.

Jiraiya was stumped that his student would take his memory to heart and was glad that Sakura had convinced him to teach Naruto. _'Maybe he will live up to your memory my old student. He might even surpass you,'_ thought Jiraiya as he turned his full attention to the battle he was taking part in. When Sakura got close enough to him, she went to attack his face but he covered his body in his hair using the underworld guardian spikes jutsu, as it became needles.

Sakura saw the needles and knew she wouldn't be able to dodge them, so she brought the sharingan forth and it allowed her to see a place she could hit without taking too much damage to her hand and arm. Blood slowly dripped down her arm, to her elbow and fell onto the green grass. Sakura winced feeling the spikes cut her arm and into her hand.

Jiraiya could not help but stare into her eyes. They were of the sharingan and the byakugan combined. She did not show him them before, but he had seen them individually. _'To bring two of leaf's strongest bloodlines together is truly extraordinary. She really has been blessed by her friends,'_ thought Jiraiya as he watched her remove her hand from the spike sticking out of her palm. He watched as she looked at the wound and didn't even flinch, as she locked eyes with him again. He felt pride swell in his chest. She was a strong fighter, and he felt privileged being her friend and ally.

"I must say Jiraiya, that was a dirty trick you pulled, but I can not say I blame you. But, you do realize that you just signed your own death?" said a devilish grinning Sakura as she used her wounded hand to pull on some clear wires.

Jiraiya felt his hair start to wrap around him tighter. It was making it hard to breathe. He couldn't bring his hands up to cancel the jutsu, so he locked eyes with her and saw her grin. _'Wait a minute….,'_ thought Jiraiya as he released a large amount of chakra to cancel the genjutsu. When his sight cleared he saw that she was no longer in front of him. He canceled the spike jutsu and looked for her. He looked around trying to place her when he was stomped on from above. From the ground he looked up and saw a sight he didn't think he would have saw. On his back, stopping him from moving was a toad. One of his own friends helped him lose the battle. _'Who knew she had a contract with the toads…. Naruto must have given it to her in the future.'_ "I'm impressed," praised Jiraiya as the toad removed its foot from his back and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura smiled as her friend disappeared. It was a lot easier than she thought it was going to be to get the toads on her side. While the two were reading the book, she had sent a clone to walk around the village while she left to re-establish her friendship to the toads. The toad elders were not happy, she had to admit, but they got over it after she told them of what was to become of little Jiraiya. "Well, you were his teacher and it was times of great need that made Naruto decide to have me sign the contract. I will admit, the first time I tried to summon a toad, I only got Gamakichi. Naruto said that he was surprised that I was able to do that since he said the first time he did, he accidentally summoned the Chief Toad," said Sakura as she reminisce and stared off into the distance. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard snickering.

Jiraiya couldn't contain his snicker, and laughed. Naruto had the nerve to say that he summoned on the first try, Gamabunta. What a laugh, and after he got his laughter under control he turned to see Sakura glaring and tapping her foot impatiently on the ground and she didn't look happy. Shaking his head, Jiraiya answered what he guessed was on her mind. "Sorry to burst your bubble sunshine, but the first time he summoned, he just barely managed to summon a tadpole. It took him getting pushed off a cliff for him to be able to summon the chief," said a smiling Jiraiya. That had been an interesting sight as Naruto and the Chief tangled. _'Boy, that brings back memories when I had to try and get him to work with me. Naruto got the worst out of the two of us, that's for sure.'_

Sakura was completely shocked that Naruto would tell her a little white lie, but she guessed that it made him feel better. She had been able to summon one of the chief's sons, while he had not. It did help in her favor that she could control her chakra better then him, but he had an unlimited supply. She wasn't mad. She could never be mad at him. "That doesn't matter," said a content Sakura as she walked over to a couple of rocks to sit down. Once she was comfortable she faced Jiraiya again. "Lord Jiraiya, I talked to the Toad Elders again so that I could re-establish my bond with them. They were interested in what I had to say, so when I visited they introduced me to everyone again. I must say that this time around Gamabunta was more of a pain in the ass then last time," grumbled Sakura as she stared off into the distance.

Jiraiya's mouth for the second time that day hit the ground. "You mean to tell me that you met with the elders and they did not mind. Normally they do not like uninvited guests," said a real puzzled Jiraiya. The toads were not the most trusting of summons and for her to get in to see the elders meant that she knew the way to get in. He had to know. "May I ask, how you got in since not everyone can just walk in without an invite?"

Sakura smiled knowing the question was going to come up and she was glad that it was now, rather than later. She brought her right hand to her left wrist and unwrapped the bandages covering her markings. Once the marking was free, she raised her wrist for Jiraiya to see. There on her left side of her left wrist was the summon contract for the toads.

'_So, that must be something else she learned from Orochimaru's apprentice. She just needs to wipe blood on the mark and she can summon her chosen friend. To have that many, and to have gained his trust is something I wish to learn about,'_ thought an astounded Jiraiya. He looked at the markings on her wrist and had to admire that she did a good job at her concealment of them. No one would think to look on the wrist since most ninja wrap their wrists anyway. After he was done inspecting them, he looked up and saw two people were approaching them. He decided to step back and let them talk with her, but he would be near if they caused her trouble. Jiraiya walked over to some trees and leaned against them. He didn't know why, but he felt that Sakura needed protecting…even from herself, and he would do what he could.

Sakura had known that they were there and was beginning to wonder when they would finally make their presence known and talk to her. She had allowed them into the genjutsu, not that Kurenai couldn't have gotten them in anyway. When Jiraiya walked over to the trees, still close enough to hear and protect her if need be, she felt relieved knowing she had a friend close. She composed herself and her thoughts so they were not scattered. She turned and faced Asuma and Kurenai. "Can I help you two with something, because if not, I have other places to be," questioned Sakura as she slowly started to stand up. She started to walk by Asuma, when he grabbed her arm in a vice like grip. He gently turned her to face both of them. Sakura looked down at the hand, but let it be for now. It helped that she didn't feel any ill intention rolling off of him. It took a while for Asuma to say something and the whole silence was making Sakura nervous and jumpy.

"We have some questions for you," insisted Asuma as he pushed her back towards the rocks she had just gotten up from. Him and Kurenai had been debating over the book since she had given it to them and it had opened so many questions that they did not know where to begin asking. _'So many battles fought by kids before their time.'_

Sakura waited for him to release her and when his hand didn't move she started to get upset. "How about letting go of my arm before I make you, Asuma?" threatened Sakura as she turned her stare towards the man who was leaving a bruise on her arm. She didn't care that she still had both blood limits still in her eyes. She was past the stage of caring with them right now. _'They were making everything so much more complicated then it had to be.'_ When Asuma let go of her arm she sat on the rocks and waited for them to start where they wanted to begin the questioning.

Kurenai sat down next to the young girl and turned her head and looked her in the eyes. Those eyes were of her student in the future. It was hard to believe, but the proof was in front of her. "Please start from the beginning and tell us what the book did not mention," pleaded a desperate Kurenai. She had to know, but not from a book, but a person who was considered family to the heiress.

"Well then, if you want the beginning then I guess I should start a couple years after the nine-tails attacked the village," said Sakura truthfully and she started the tale of the real reason the village was attacked by the nine-tails and the events that took place in the years that followed. She answered their questions when they asked and she would continue her story. It would be four hours before she would finally finish her story and she changed back into her younger form. "….and when Naruto finished his speech nothing happened until a bright light appeared and I started to fall from the sky. The rest you already know. I found Jada dead in the Forest of Death and since Team Seven needed to pass, I became her until now. It was easier this way," said Sakura as she took a drink of her water. She was thirsty after her long talk.

"If what you're saying is true, then why are you not killing people that are the major enemies in the future?" Questioned Asuma. If it was him he would tell the Konoha elders and kill all the people that were responsible for the village's destruction.

"I could, but then I know that some of the major players would go into hiding, and then everything I know would become void. I just plan to change little things for the big battle. Like for starters, Sasuke must leave the village, but make him promise to remember his bonds to his family here. I plan to help train the Konoha eleven so that when the time comes they will be ready for their battles. Another reason I can not take everyone on by myself is because I am just one person, and the one person I want to kill has not made his presence known yet," glared Sakura as she turned to face the setting sun. The sunset seemed to calm her down, if only a little. She really wanted to get out of here, so she could go see Sasuke.

Kurenai was the first to stand and took a seat next to Sakura and wrapped an arm around the tensed kunoichi. "We will help you in any way that we can. We won't tell a soul since you seem to be telling only certain people. We may not agree with your way of going about things, but you seem to know more about what is going on than we do." Kurenai gave Sakura a light hug, who received a small one in return.

"Kurenai….Asuma….may I ask you guys a question?" Asked a shy Sakura as she looked down as her thumbs that were twirling around the other. She was nervous and had a feeling they would turn her down. Why did she have to ask? She really was glutton for punishment.

"Sure Sakura. What do you need?" Asked Kurenai sincerely since she was next to the girl. She saw that Asuma had nodded his approval. Hopefully it wouldn't be too bad of something she wanted to ask.

"Well…I….wanted to know if. I mean…wanted to….," said a frustrated Sakura. She really needed to get her act together. After a moment she worked her courage up and asked the question. "When I'm feeling overwhelmed...could I seek one of you guys out and talk? I mean you don't have to if you don't want to because I would understand since it would already be putting more pressure on your shoulders and I…" rambled Sakura and would have continued it if Kurenai didn't stop her from her ramble by her finger on Sakura's lips.

"Easy there, Sakura. I think I speak for both Asuma and myself when I say that we would be honored for you to talk to us. It may be a weight that you have to bear, but know that we will be here to help you when ever we can," said a smiling Kurenai as she smiled at the blushing girl in her arms. _'No, she's not a girl. A girl is one who has not faced death and battle and still holds innocence. She does not, so she is a woman in more of a sense than others her age. Maybe as time passes, maybe she might let me get to know her better. I would like to have another female friend that I can talk to besides Anko.'_

Asuma stood up from the log he had sat on during the story and approached Sakura. He really felt bad about his behavior, and hoped that she would forgive him for his actions. If what she said was true, he had attacked a Hokage, even if she wasn't one now, but in the future. "I agree with Kurenai, and I hope that you will forgive me for my transgressions towards you. I was in the wrong," said Asuma as kneeled in front of Sakura. He bowed his head, and awaited his punishment with disgust at himself. When nothing happened he looked up and saw tears in Sakura's eyes as she smiled at him. She held her hand out towards him and he reluctantly took it.

"Asuma, I am not mad, considering I would have done the same thing in your shoes, so no need to worry. You do not need to bow towards me, I am not your leader, but your equal. All I ask from you Asuma is your friendship and your help in shaping the world into something other than my world," pleaded Sakura as she pulled Asuma to his feet. When Asuma nodded his head she sighed with relief. She had more people on her team and willing to help. "Asuma, may I have my book back, now that you're through with it?" Asked Sakura as she held her hand out to take back the book that she knew he had in his vest. When he handed it back to her she placed it in her backpack that she carried around with her.

Kurenai and Asuma left after they said they would meet up with her later to discuss some of the plans for their groups' training. They figured that the best way to train them would be as they normally did. They would just take hints from Sakura about what each one needed to focus on. They went home and started to plan out lessons that they could start with their students.

After the two left, she turned to Jiraiya and told him she was glad he stayed with her during the meeting. When he asked to read the book since she didn't allow him to last time, she got it out of the bag and tossed it to him. She informed him to keep it safe and when he promised he would, she left and headed towards the hospital. She had someone important to see.

When she arrived at the hospital she could hear some arguing coming from Sasuke's room. When knocking on the door didn't get results, she just walked in and saw that Naruto and Sasuke were arguing about respect. She saw that Tsunade and Shizune were just watching the show and trying really hard not to laugh. She walked over towards the two, while her teammates bickered like little children over a toy.

"Lady Tsunade, thank you for healing my teacher and teammate. I do not have the knowledge yet on how to repair the damage to the brain that the sharingan can cause," spoke Sakura sorrowfully. She bowed her head in shame.

Tsunade looked at the girl before her and that was when it clicked in her head who this girl was. She was the one that Sasuke kept asking about if she was all right, since she too had been exposed to Itachi's sharingan. Her description also matched that of the one that Kakashi gave her about a student of his that would make a great medic someday, once she had better teaching. _'So this is the girl that those three were talking so highly about. To think she took on Itachi's sharingan and managed to heal herself on her own. That in itself is amazing. I think she will make a fine student to teach. She is coming highly recommended by her teammates and her teacher,'_ thought Tsunade as she placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder, who raised her eyes to meet those of her own. "You will in time Sakura, all you need is someone to teach you, and then you will become a great medic. I think I could use some help around the hospital when you're not busy. It will not be much, but it's a start."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage," said a smiling Sakura. At least now she had gotten close to her former teacher. Now it was time to deliver the mail. Sakura brought her backpack to in front of her and reached into it and pulled out a rolled up parchment. She placed it in Tsunade's hand and spoke seriously. "Lady Hokage, this is a letter that the Third asked that I give to you when you arrived. I ask that you open it once you get back to your office and let no other eyes see it but your own and Shizune." When the two nodded she watched as Tsunade placed the letter in her jacket in a pocket. Tsunade would come to her after she read the letter. She too would seek out the answers that the letter would give.

She now had another thing done; she now needed to focus on the two kids. Sakura walked over to the two still arguing boys and bonked them on the back of the heads to get their attention, which she did; two glares, one teary and one pissed.

"Sakuraaaa. That hurt. Why'd you do that?!" whined a teary eyed Naruto as he rubbed the back of his abused head. She may not have put a lot of power into that hit, but darn it hurt!

"Hn!……Where have you been Sakura?" Demanded a glaring Sasuke. He wanted to rub the spot she had hit, but he didn't want to appear weak. He was just glad that she was fine and well. She looked better then he thought she would after being exposed to the sharingan. If what Naruto said was true, then her body had healed itself without her knowledge. But knowing Naruto, his sources were not always right. However, this one seemed to hold merit.

Sakura faced the two and placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot against the hospital floor. "Naruto…you two were so loud that I could hear you outside the hospital walls. You two needed to be quiet when you're in a hospital. Sasuke, I was at the training grounds talking with Lord Jiraiya. We were working out a way to get the book back that he asked me to watch, but it got stolen by some of his fans. We just got done getting the book back, when I ran here to see you. Sorry, that I wasn't here, but how about I make it up to you and cook you and Naruto dinner?" asked Sakura. She watched as Naruto rapidly nodded his head and Sasuke nodded his head once in agreement.

"That's great you guys. Come over in about an hour and it will be ready. Here is my address, and once you get to the door, please knock," said Sakura happily as handed her address over to Sasuke, who she knew would not lose it. She quickly kissed Naruto and Sasuke on the forehead and said her good-byes to the two men, then left. She ran out of the room, since she had a meal to prepare for and since she knew the two so well, she would need to make a couple stops at the market before she headed home.

The two boys showed up on time for their dinner and she was glad that she took time to stop and get some of their favorite food. During dinner, the three talked and told stories. Naruto told of the journey to get Tsunade. Sasuke didn't really talk, since he listened more, but he did ask Sakura to train with him. Sakura told them more of her journeys around the countries and more about herself. The two left late that night, but promised to meet at the grounds to train.

Sakura went to bed that night and fell into a fitful sleep. It just wasn't the death of her friends that she kept seeing, but her failure to save this world. "No, I made a promise that I would protect this world, even if it cost me my life. Like Tsunade said before her battle with Orochimaru. "This is where I lay my life on the line." Now it's my turn," said Sakura softly as she finally fell asleep.

*~*~*~* Hokage Office*~*~*~*

Tsunade and Shizune walked into the Hokage's office. She looked around the room that once belonged to her teacher and mentor. She walked over to the desk and ran her fingertips over the desk that still held piles of paper work, just waiting to be finished. Tsunade walked over to the chair and sat in it; turning to face the Hokage Mountain that one-day would hold her face on its mountainside. _'I hope you are happy where you are, Sarutobi. You sure left me a lot of paperwork, you old coot,'_ thought Tsunade as she turned to face the desk and her assistant.

She had work to get done, and she was going to start now. She reached for a medical book that Shizune had placed by her and opened it. She saw something that was promising on restoring Rock Lee's leg and arm. She went to open a drawer when the said drawer refused to open; she pulled it out violently causing the contents to fall onto the floor. She bent down to pick up the papers and pens that had come out of the draw, when a letter fell from her pocket on top of the pile she made. Tsunade looked at the letter still sealed and decided that she would open it later, after she got Rock Lee's problem figured out. Placing the pile of letters, pens and the letter in the draw she closed it, to read another day, maybe tomorrow. She had other things to do right now that demanded her attention. She could read the stupid letter left to her later, when she wasn't so pressed for time.

Sakura waited for a week for Tsunade to come to her and when she didn't she figured that she was waiting to confront her. Jiraiya still had the book and was using it to tie up some loose ends that he knew about, but was still not sure about some things. He used the book as a way to figure out what his next step would be, so that he could get information that was not known or in the book just yet. Asuma and Kurenai used this time to get their students training harder. They told them that since the village was attacked, everyone was going to be needed for missions, and they all had to be prepared.

Team 7 every morning continued to train until they were given the mission to Tea Country. This was the mission that Sakura had been dreading, but in a way, looking forward to. It meant that time was still flowing properly and not going out of line and changing. Tea the first time had been a pain and the second time around was no different. The only difference was that Sakura never hid in the shadows and protected their client, Idate better then she did the last time. With the two not having to watch out for her, they focused on their enemy, a former leaf ninja, Aoi. But sadly, the battle still turned out the same way that it did before. Sasuke caused a crack to appear in the sword after hitting it with Chidori. Naruto finished it off and the sword shattered after Naruto hit it with his Rasengan.

On the way back from Tea, Sakura never left Sasuke's side. It gave him a little comfort, but it didn't lessen the anger that had taken root into his mind. Naruto had bested him on a mission. Naruto was able to beat Aoi, while he, an Uchiha, could not. The more that he thought on it, the angrier he got. Despite his wounds he started to get up when he felt the power of the mark start to overcome him. With the new power starting to course throughout his veins, he stood up and went to approach his enemy. He only took on step when he felt arms wrap around his waist and a calming voice whispering in his ear.

Sakura saw Sasuke start to rise and saw that the mark was become active again. She knew that it was time to step in before there was bloodshed. She wrapped her bandaged arms around Sasuke's waist and whispered in his ear, to try and calm him down. "Sasuke, calm down. This isn't you and you know it; do not let this mark control you because you can control it." When this caused him to stop trying to walk towards their distracted teammate, Sakura continued to calm him down. "Sasuke, it was you that brought on the defeat of that ninja, not Naruto. Yes, Naruto did deal the finishing blow, but it was you that gave him that path. It was your Chidori that caused a crack to form in the sword, not Naruto. So, calm down, Sasuke and get that mark under control, before I hang you!" said Sakura sternly to her teammate. She knew that Sasuke would get a kick out of the last comment and she wasn't disappointed, when he "hn" and turned around to face her.

Sasuke turned around in Sakura's arms and raised a bandaged hand to rest on her cheek. "Not like you could anyway," smirked Sasuke as he felt the power leaving his body. He leaned forward and lightly kissed Sakura on her cheek_. 'You really are something special to me, Sakura. Even though I do not believe it is a lover, but you are so much more. You understand me, when I even do not understand myself.'_ "You're right, but I still hate losing to that dead last, and you know it," muttered Sasuke softly as Sakura slowly lowered him back to his bed.

"That may be, Sasuke, but all he ever wants from you is acceptance. He is a lot like you in a way, when you think about it. But enough talk, you need to rest. Now sleep, before I knock you out," said Sakura playfully as she watched Sasuke finally giving into his body's need for rest. She was letting Sasuke use her lap as a pillow and it also allowed her to play with his silky hair. She would have loved to do this when she was younger and a fan girl, but then she never would have been allowed this close. It would be another three years before she would see him again, so she was taking everything in that she could, so she would remember him. He was one of the reasons she was here and she would be damned if she let him die a second time on her watch.

When they docked, Sasuke was taken to the hospital to get healed and checked up on. If the damage wasn't too severe, he would maybe be released in two days. The first day Sakura was in the hospital, Sakura went to talk with her two helpers. She only found Asuma, and told him what was going to be happening in a couple of days and he told her that the retrieval team was ready. He wasn't too sure about Neji, but from what he had heard from Kurenai's student Hinata, he was taking training serious like always. Sakura felt bad that she hadn't really been able to talk to Neji since the run in at the weapons shop. _'Well, I guess I know where I'm going today.'_ She thanked Asuma and headed towards Team Gai's training ground. Hopefully he would be there.

When she arrived at the training grounds she didn't see anyone, so she turned back around to leave when she felt it. She dropped to the ground and threw her own weapon at her attacker. Her weapons met that of her attacker's thrown weapons. She got up from the ground and turned around to face her attacker and saw Neji coming out of the shadows of the trees_. 'Why am I not surprised? Aren't we being a little hostile towards a fellow leaf ninja. What's got your bandages in a twist?'_ thought Sakura bitterly as she dodged his attack a second time. This time he didn't attack with weapons, he attacked with his gentle fist. _'Well, I guess I needed a refreshers course in this. You are the only one to truly master its true power.'_ Sakura dodged each hit and blocked when she knew was appropriate.

Neji attacked the kunoichi that he had meet in the weapons shop. He had for the past couple days been hearing that she was a force to be reckoned with in battle and training, but why was she not attacking him back? When he thought he would have a good shot at closing a chakra point off, she would block it, with chakra around her hands to protect her own hands from his chakra. He would give her credit; she was smart and knew about the Hyuuga family's gentle fist. He finally saw an opening and hit her in the chest.

Sakura felt the finger tips hit right in between her breast and coughed up some blood. He had just hit the spot that had almost killed his cousin in the match after the Forest of Death. Sakura had a hold of his wrist and applied pressure to the wrist and sent her chakra to his nerves. When the chakra was where it needed to be, she smirked and sent the charge of chakra through his hand. The charge attacked his nerve endings throughout the upper part of his body.

Neji went to pull his hand out of her grasp, when he felt the chakra flare up his wrist to the upper part of his body. His whole body felt on fire and every muscle was dissolving under the attack. His legs gave out and he collapsed, and his hand came free, but the damage had been done. He couldn't move his arms and taking a breath was become hard, as his head was feeling heavy. His body started to shut down one organ at a time and he fought to breathe. He started to fall unconscious; his eyes started to close when he felt an electric shock to his heart. His eyes snapped open when his body slowly returned to normal. He turned to see Sakura kneeling next to him and she had chakra surrounding her hands, over his chest.

"Next time you use your chakra to attack my heart and lungs, you ass, I won't be so lenient and I'll let you suffer. I thought I would give you a taste of what you were doing to me. Doesn't feel very good, does it?" spat Sakura harshly as she continued to repair the damage her chakra had done to his nerve endings. It really was a handy tool to use. She used the idea of the gentle fist and made it her own. She didn't need to see the chakra points to get her point across. Once she felt the damage had been healed she fell backwards on her butt, gasping for air. She looked at Neji to see him looking at nothing in particular. She started to get up, when her legs gave out under her and she fell back down. She went to try again, when she saw a hand in front of her. She looked up and saw that Neji was offering her help. She slowly took the hand and she was pulled up. When she lost her balance she expected to hit the ground, but felt someone holding her up.

Neji watched as she struggled to get to her feet, so he offered to help her. When she went to fall again, he draped her arm over his shoulder and led her towards one of the benches near by. Once sitting her down, he got up and walked to the tree near her, but into the shade. He didn't want to be to close to her, even after that small amount of contact, he felt his body start of turn to fire again, but a different fire. "You are a different type of kunoichi than the ones I know. You give as well as you take and yet you never backed down from the challenge," said Neji as he watched the bird, but kept an eye on her.

Sakura was shocked by Neji's words. _'Did he just give a compliment somewhere in that sentence?! I think he did. WOW.'_ Sakura turned her attention towards Neji and replied, "Well, I sure hope so. I wouldn't be a kunoichi if it didn't." Sakura placed her hand over her chest and healed the damage that his gentle fist had done to her heart and lungs. It wasn't much, but given time it would have become worse.

Neji saw that she didn't like being talked down to. She wanted to be considered an equal to her adversary. _'Well, I think she is, considering she took me out fast enough,'_ thought Neji as he nodded his head. "I hope you will forgive me for my behavior the last time we met. It was not what I would call appropriate. I just assumed you would be just like their old teammate. She couldn't hit or dodge to save her life. I just figured you would be the same, until I started to hear about Team 7's training. You seem to be the talk of the town since you keep up with the two." Neji now knew why she was able to keep up with them. She was just as strong as them and she knew her defense.

Sakura nodded her head and looked into the sky. She always loved when the day was beginning to set into night. It was always that start of a new day beginning to take shape. "Well, when I first decided to become a member of Team 7, I was told that it would be to a team with two VERY energetic boys that liked to drive the other further in skill, as well as crazy. I knew that if I joined their team that I wouldn't be able to just rest and take a break because then I would be left in the shadows. I made a promise to myself a long time ago that I would never watch the backs of my teammates again. I would be right there with them, defending or attacking, not being the one protected," spoke Sakura truthfully as she allowed her hands to fist up. It was a promise that she would keep. She learned that the first time around and she wasn't about to let that happen again. After Sakura felt her strength return to her she stood up and tested her balance.

Once she felt better she head towards toward the hospital. "If you don't mind, I need to go and check up on one of my teammates? You're more then welcome to walk with me seeing as it is getting dark. You will need to be getting home soon and I need an escort since I am a weak, and defenseless girl," joked Sakura playfully as she stopped and faced Neji. Either he would take the offer to get to know her of just push it aside. The ball was in his court now.

When he smirked and walked towards her only to stop beside her. "Well then, since I am such a gentleman, I will walk to you to the hospital. I wouldn't want to learn later that something had happened to you, since you are defenseless," mocked a smirking Neji, who saw a smirk gracing Sakura's face as well.

The two took off towards the hospital and talked about their teammates and what they did for training. By the time they reached the hospital, they were just starting on taijutsu training tips. Sakura bid Neji thanks and went up to Sasuke's room where she fell asleep in the chair next to the bed. She never did feel the eyes upon her as she slept from the corner of the room.

The eyes watched from the shadows and couldn't wait to attack his prey. It would be soon and he would get what he wanted. When morning came the eyes were gone before anyone would spot them and report their findings. He would wait until later.

*~*~*~* ~*~*~*

**Authors Note:**

Well it looks like Sakura has just made two new allies and is waiting on her tardy teacher to read her letter. If all of you are wondering what is in her letter you have to wait until the chapter 11- Plans shift into motion. Congratulations to the people who guess the next people that Sakura would be telling her secret to. Well, those that wanted to see Neji again got to and I hope I did not disappoint.

Now I have a confession to make about this chapter that my beta readers found very funny. This chapter WAS originally 38 pages long, but I decided to divide it into two parts. I was really, and I mean REALLY considering stopping it in a nice cliffy part of the story. Oh, wait……I did! :D I hope everyone still likes how this story is going, since I have really put a lot of effort into the plot and story line of the story.

Take care people and I hope you all are seeing where this story might be going. Tell me where you think and those who are right get mentioned in the part two.

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	11. The Chosen Path we all Must Walk pt 2

Thank you to everyone that has placed Time is on their favorite story/Author or story alert. An even bigger thank you goes to everyone that has reviewed! Now onto the story…

_**Chapter 10- The Chosen Path we all Must Walk**  
_Part 2

The early morning sunrays shined through the window and hit Sakura right in the eyes. They really couldn't have hit her more in the center of the eyes then they did. Sakura turned her head away from the bright lights groaning and stretched the kinks out of her body. When she felt and heard the desired pops and cracks she lazily stood up from the chair. It was still too early for the two to go at it, so she left to go shower at home and get some real food for Sasuke. Not that he would eat it, but she would anyway. She needed to eat as well.

After returning home, Sakura showered, changed into a clean set of clothes and grabbed some of the apples she had on the counter for emergencies. On the way back to the hospital, Sakura was greeted in the streets by people who were beginning to know her and some children. She waved and greeted them back, but she never stopped in her steps towards the hospital. She had a deadline she had to keep this morning. It was nice being recognized in the village again and not as a stranger. She enjoyed seeing the children because they reminded her of another reason she was protecting everyone she could.

When she arrived in the room, she noticed that Sasuke was just starting to come to, so she took out one of the apples and started to peel it with a kunai slowly. After she was done peeling it, she cut the apple into quarters and set them on the plate next, on the table, next to the chair. Sakura walked into the bathroom washed her hands and got a clean washrag, wet it, and walked over to Sasuke and placed it on his forehead. She knew that he was dreaming about his clan and knew that whenever he did, he always had a small fever early in the morning. Sakura felt really bad for Sasuke when his happened because she went through the same things during this time. She really could sympathies with when he went through them now. She frowned knowing that soon he would be leaving her. When Sasuke opened his onyx eyes, he knew who was in his room and it was confirmed when he saw kind, emerald eyes.

"Sa…ku…ra…," rasped Sasuke as he tried to talk. He felt like he had swallowed cotton. He looked around for some water, when the glass was lightly placed right into his hands. He nodded his thanks. He took a long drink from it and felt the cool water moisten his parched throat. After emptying the glass, Sakura took it from him and refilled it. After he had his fill of water he handed the glass back to Sakura. After the glass was taken, she handed him a plate of peeled apples. He only got two down when Naruto ran in the room and everything else disappeared.

Sasuke and Naruto had their disagreement and walked out onto the roof of the hospital to work things out. But, Sakura knew different since she had seen the battle once before. If they had their chose it would become a blood bath that neither would win.

Sakura stood on the sidelines and clenched her hands into fists in rage. She really hated not interfering in the mess, but when the two were launching their strongest attacks, she had enough, just like last time. "Enough! Both of you! You two are acting like little children not getting their way. NOW STOP!" Screamed Sakura as she ran in the middle of the two attacking boys. She knew standing in the middle was suicide, but she had to prove to them that neither was right to attack the other. They were brothers not enemies. She readied her body for the impact that she knew would hurt her severely.

The two tried to stop the attacks, but they were still novices at learning the attacks, so they couldn't stop them. As they were nearing Sakura, both boys slightly turned their bodies so that their attacks wouldn't hit Sakura in the chest or heart. As the attacks came closer, and were inches from hitting the target the boy's closed their eyes seeing Sakura's understanding eyes. Suddenly, the boy's wrists were both grabbed and thrown into two water tanks.

Kakashi pushed his student down so she wouldn't get hurt and threw the two boys away from her. If he had been only a few seconds later, then Sakura would have been killed. He turned his anger onto the two boys and gave both a firm and stern lecture. Kakashi watched as Sasuke and Naruto left and he turned his attention onto his stupid student. He felt his anger renewed when he saw her just standing there. He walked over to her and slapped her. "You could have gotten yourself killed, you stupid girl. What were you thinking just standing there?" yelled Kakashi furiously at the stunned girl.

Sakura felt the slap and her eyes widened in complete shock. _'This hadn't happened last time, but of course in the other world I was a baby'_ thought an emotionally hurt Sakura. Sakura placed her hand over her throbbing and sore cheek. Her eyes turned from shock to anger as she glared at her teacher. How she wanted to slap him back, but she refrained from the temptation. "Now I'm stupid, am I. Well Kakashi I didn't know that I was in the wrong protecting my teammates, even from themselves. I knew what I was getting into when I ran into the path of their attacks. What if you wouldn't have gotten here in time and they killed each other? I made a vow to myself when I became part of this team and I am sticking to it. You can slap, beat or abuse me, but you will never change or make me break that vow. NEVER! I vowed to protect my teammates from all harm, even from themselves and if I lost a limb or my life so be it. At least I kept my vow. Now if you will excuse me, I have somewhere to be and it's not with you," spoke Sakura bitterly as she quickly disappeared in a swirl of petals.

Kakashi hung his head in shame. In all his times with having anyone on a team he had never struck them, let alone a female, who was doing what she felt was right, and in a way she was. She felt that if she stood in their path, then they would survive, and she was right. She would take the brunt of the damage. He really was an ass. He didn't know what came over him when he saw that she was just standing their doing nothing. He let his anger get the best of him and in doing so; he might have lost the only female worth teaching. He really knew how to cause a mess. He turned around and saw Jiraiya. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked over to him to talk.

Jiraiya saw Kakashi slap Sakura's cheek and felt anger bubbling up in his chest. He wasn't very close to the girl, but to see her treated in such a way angered him immensely. She had been through enough and she knew what she was doing, but she didn't deserve that. He believed in her, and to some point he couldn't help but see her as a child still needing protection. Maybe it came from being the first one she trusted with her secret next to the Hokage. Even if she was capable of it herself, he felt a drive to do what he could to make sure no more harm came to her than what was needed. _'I guess this is what everyone talks about when they talk of watching over family. I guess to some point she is a daughter to me, since she is Naruto's sister. By the end of this war, Sakura, you will have a lot of people considering you as their family. Kurenai and Asuma have already talked about offering you a place to stay when you need it. You really are someone special, dear blossom,'_ thought Jiraiya proudly as he watched her leave as Kakashi walked over to him and gave the speech he planned to after witnessing the two's battle. He really wanted to set the young man in his place, but if his attitude right now was anything to go on, Sakura had dealt a pretty big blow.

Sakura re-appeared in her apartment and head right towards the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she saw that her cheek was bright red and it was sore. She lightly touched it and withdrew her hand quickly at the pain that one little touch made. Her check burned like fire. _'Well I guess this is a lesson leaned. Kakashi you really are an ass in this world, and I think I might hold off on telling him about who I am until a later date. I can just see what he would do if I told him now…cause more problems than what I'm wanting to deal with currently,'_ thought an exhausted Sakura as she walked out of the bathroom and to the kitchen to place some ice on the check. It would hurt, but it was a reminder she wasn't going to forget soon anytime soon.

Sakura brought the icepack into the living room and laid down on the couch. Once she was comfortable she placed the icepack on her cheek and let it do its job_. 'Today was not my day.'_ After a while her cheek became numb from the cold and she fell into a light and comfortable sleep. She woke up a couple hours after the battle and around or near midnight. She wiped the sleepy from her eyes and looked at the clock on the wall. "OH HELL!!" Screamed Sakura frantically as she quickly jumped off the couch, no longer sleepy. She needed to meet up with Sasuke before he left. Performing the needed hand signs, Sakura disappeared in a swirl of petals.

Sakura appeared at the bench and quickly sent out a pulse of chakra through her feet. "I hope I didn't miss him," mumbled Sakura under her breath fearfully. When the chakra came back, it told her that Sasuke was just leaving his house and headed in this direction. Sakura sighed with relief, knowing that she had not missed him. Looking around her she took a step in the shadows of the trees to wait for her teammate. When she saw Sasuke appear, she felt like sobbing, but held it in when she placed her hand over her mouth. This would be the last time she would see him for a couple of years. When Sasuke started to walk past her, she stepped out into the path. Sakura raised her head and locked gazes with Sasuke's. "Where are you going, Sasuke?" Asked a worried Sakura, who allowed the worry to show in her eyes.

"I'm going somewhere where I can become stronger and not be held back by chains this village has placed around me. I am taking Orochimaru up on his offer to train me to become stronger, so that I can finally defeat my brother," said Sasuke nastily at the last part of his speech. He stepped around his teammate to continue his pursuit to the meeting point. He would not be stopped or detoured. Sasuke only got two steps away from Sakura when he felt her grab his hand and intertwine their fingers gently, almost intimately in their warmth. He turned his head and followed her arm up to her face. Her eyes were covered by her bangs, but the rest of her face was now covered in the serene moonlight. It only took him a moment to see the mark upon her cheek. He felt his protective instincts kick in. He slowly turned his body to face her and gently cupped her sore check in his other hand. He raised her head so he could see her worried eyes. "Who slapped you Sakura? Do not tell me a lie that you got it from falling," Demanded Sasuke angrily, and would have continued to demand answers. What stopped him were Sakura's actions. Sakura started to move away from him with hurt in her eyes. He would kill them for what they did to her.

Sakura stopped backing away from him, when he didn't continue to yell at her. Sakura raised her only free hand and laid it on Sasuke's. She could see the care and the hurt in his eyes. "I got it from someone I thought would see that I value my teammates over my life. It's a reminder, I never plan to forget for a long time, if ever," pledged Sakura softly as she allowed herself to be comforted by his presence alone. She always felt safe around him and knew that she could let her guard down if only for a little while. Sakura stepped closer and when Sasuke didn't push her away she brought her body against his. Sakura leaned closer and laid her head on his shoulder to hear his heart beat. _Thump…thump…thump…thump…_A sound that could always put her to sleep or calm her when nothing else could.

Sasuke didn't know what to do when Sakura leaned against him, but he did what felt right. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tenderly. This was something he had never done before, but with Sakura it didn't feel so bad. In a sense, this would be the last time he saw her. His mind made up, he pulled Sakura even closer to him and rested his head on hers; he felt her pull him closer as well. He would take everything in and hope that he would remember it and she would forgive him. She would be one of his better memories that he would treasure. She already held a place in his heart; a place with only her name. He pulled back and looked Sakura in her sad eyes. "I need to get going, Sakura. Please forgive me," mumbled Sasuke sadly as he stepped back and placed a loving kiss on Sakura's forehead. Sasuke turned to continue on his path, when he felt his hand grabbed once again. He turned his head and saw tears falling from Sakura's eyes. She was crying and he felt a little bit of his heart break as each tear cascaded down her face.

Sakura allowed her tears to fall. It was like losing him all over again, but this time it felt worst. This time she knew what awaited him and hoped his destiny wouldn't be the same as it was for him in the future. Sakura raised Sasuke's hand, intertwining their fingers and placed their combined hands over her heart. Her other hand wiped the tears from her eyes and once she felt composed she calmed her mind and heart. She looked deeply into his eyes, "Sasuke promise me that the next time we meet, you will not have forgotten the bonds that tie you to this village. Forget the chains this village has placed around you, but never forget the bonds of friendship. If you do, then I promise I will kick your ass from here to the next couple countries," said a determined but stern Sakura. If he did she would keep her promise and introduce him to her chakra infused fist again.

Sasuke was shocked as she said those words. They were not the words that he expected to hear. "So, you do not plan to stop me from leaving the village and joining Orochimaru?" asked a puzzled Sasuke. He looked down at their interlaced fingers and squeezed her hand tenderly. Her hands were so soft and gentle. A lot like her once you got to know her. He could feel the beat of her heart and the warmth radiating from her skin. She radiated something he had not felt since he was a child. He felt….protected….and loved.

Sakura took her other hand and raised Sasukes face to look into her caring and understanding eyes. Her hand moved from his chin to his check and lovingly creased it. "Why stop you when I know that no matter what I do you would go anyway? You have a dream you wish to fulfill, and if you feel the best chance is outside the village walls then go. Just know that I do not agree with it because the one you wish to receive training from and wish to kill were both trained here in the village walls. But, I will allow you to go without protest if you make me this one simple promise and remember it," choked Sakura sorrowfully. It really was true, because she had tried everything she could think of last time and it didn't stop him. When Sasuke still didn't answer, she felt her heart break and lowered her head in hurt and shame. _'I guess I really am a failure…..a weak minded girl,'_ thought Sakura bitterly as she felt renewed tears start to fall. She step back from his embrace and unlaced their fingers and started to turn around in defeat. Her body was grabbed roughly and was pulled back to Sasuke's chest again. Sakura was in shock, but wrapped her arms around him as his was around hers. Sakura just held him, when dampness rolled down her check. They were just a couple tears, but they were not her own.

Sasuke warmly wrapped his arms around Sakura one last time. "I promise you Sakura. I will remember, even if I ever say that I do not. I will return to you someday, once my revenge is complete," pledged Sasuke sternly as he unwrapped his arms from around her body. He took one last look at her to imprint her to memory and stepped back. He turned and walked away from the only girl to ever understand and accept him. Sasuke was only a few steps away from her when a thought struck him.

He turned around determined to ask her looking into her sparkling, but confused eyes. "Sakura, come with me to Sound and I promise that no harm will befall you at any ones hand?" Asked Sasuke. In some part of his mind he wanted her to say yes, but he knew in his heart that she would stay. The silent surrounding them was thick, but Sasuke did not have to wait for her answer long. She only thought on it for a minute before she shook her head negatively.

Sakura felt her heart beat faster. Sasuke asked the one question she wished he would have asked her the last time. She knew if she did follow him that she would be closer to him, but then everything she knew would become useless. She was needed here and not at her brothers side, where her heart wanted to be. She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry Sasuke, but my place is here in the village. Your place is out there to become stronger. I want to become stronger here, surrounded by friends and family. But, most of all I want to remain here so you will always know that you have a home to come to when you're done. I want nothing more then to go, but my home is here now Sasuke. I thank you for the offer, my brother. Now go before I change my mind in stopping you," sobbed Sakura. It was nice knowing that Sasuke was thinking about her.

Sasuke smiled. He was glad she wanted to stay home in the village. He didn't want her tainted by Orochimaru and Kabuto's presences. She was too pure and shouldn't be tainted by him. "I had to ask and I'm glad you are staying. I'll at least know that you are in good hands and protects here. Even if you don't need it," said Sasuke smugly as he smile one last true smile at her playful glare and left. He stopped momentarily when he heard her last words and smiled as he ran off after she was finished. _'I do not know what you mean by that there are many layers to a person and to know the real person you must act on a whim and understand. I guess I will learn next time we meet…my sister. Take care of yourself and Naruto our crazy, knuckle headed brother. I hope your up to the test Naruto and watch over our sister until the day I return.'_

Sakura watched Sasuke ran off into the moonlight and to embrace what he felt was his destiny. She wiped her remaining tears and actually smiled. _'He's really gone, but he promised and he's never broken a promise he ever made to me.'_ Sakura slowly turned around to face her next challenge of the night.

She watched as the old sibling started to emerge. "Can I help you with something, Itachi?" asked a smug Sakura as the predator stepped out of the trees shadows. She had felt him for some time, but ignored him since her main priority was Sasuke.

'_Hn…so she knew I was here. Not surprising since she seems to be well trained. I wonder why she didn't block the hit from Kakashi earlier.'_ "I came for answers and the letter that the Third spoke of that you hold in your procession," said Itachi with no real emotion in his deep voice as he held out his hand for the letter. He still did not trust her, even after her offering. He would not be stabbed in the back because of such foolishness.

Sakura smirk turned to a smile and locked eyes with Itachi. She slowly reached in her back pocket of her pants and pulled the folded letter out so he could see it. She slowly handed it to him and watched as he slowly opened it expecting it to explode. Once the letter was opened he started to read and became lost in the words, but still kept an eye on Sakura.

Sakura became smug as she watched her clone slowly came out of the ground behind him. The clone smiled at the original Sakura as it did what she was sent to do. The clone tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to turn and face the clone. The real Sakura acted quickly and disappeared in a swirl of petal. She appeared in place of her clone and punched Itachi hard in the stomach.

Itachi felt the air leave his lungs. _'When did she move, and how did she move so fast that the sharingan didn't pick it up?!'_ thought Itachi as he grabbed her arm and punched her in the stomach. In a puff of smoke, she disappeared again, revealing a substitution jutsu. _'She's fast...a little faster than last time.' _Itachi looked for the real Sakura, but she wasn't near him. He started to turn when he faintly felt her presence next to him and tried to block her oncoming attack.

She reappeared beside him, completely masking her chakra and as he turned to face her, she punched him in the jaw, hard with chakra. She heard a pop, crunch and smirked at him as he was thrown into some trees and shrubs. She watched as he removed some of the branches from his body, as he sat at the base of a tree. "I made a promise to myself that the next time you and I met, you little bastard, I would pay you back. I'll see you later Uchiha. Don't get lost on the way out of the village and maybe let the doors hit you in the ass," scowled Sakura nastily as she disappeared in a swirl of petals to return home. She figured he might as well know why she attacked him. It was only fair since he attack her when she was unconscious.

Itachi stayed on the ground and watched as the girl disappeared. Taking the crumpled letter back out of his sleeve, he continued to read it, but from the beginning.

_**Itachi Uchiha, **_

If you are reading this letter then the events that Sakura foretold to me have come to pass. In the letter I sent to you regarding a new ally on your side, the one I speak of is Sakura Haruno. The one giving you this letter is she and can be trusted with your information regarding the Akatsuki plans until another Hokage of trust takes my place. She holds many secrets that she has shared with me and I beg that you do not attack her nor kill her because what she holds will save us all. I will not say more because she must be the one to tell you and you must gain her trust, as she must yours. Be well, my boy, and know that Sasuke is still safe within the village walls or will be as long as I live. I have kept my end of the promise.

_**The Honorable Third Hokage of Konoha, Sarutobi**_

_**Oh, and Itachi... do be careful she does pack a powerful right hook and seems to be a hellcat when provoked correctly. **_

'_Wish I would have known that beforehand,'_ thought Itachi as he rubbed his swollen jawbone where her last hit had made direct contact. He guess he did kind of deserve that after what he put her through with the Tsukuyomi, but she never should have interfered in family matters. Itachi stood up from the ground and looked off into the distance and felt a smirk grace his sore jaw. _'I won't be getting lost anytime soon since I know right where my destination is,'_ thought Itachi as he grinned and disappeared in a flock of black crows.

*~*~*~*Location Unknown*~*~*~*

In a dark, mysterious forest, hidden deep within the depths of a mountain was a single dark room. Within the room, where no eyes could see or screams be heard was a prisoner. The prisoner was chained to the filthy wall with nothing covering the naked skin. The prisoner had been fighting to get free for the past week, but was never able to escape the chains. Wrists enclosed in chains were raw from the metal savagely digging in the pale skin to the bone. The ankles were no better; blood ran onto the already dirty floor. The metallic aroma of spilled blood heavy in the muggy room. Wanting freedom from the prison was the only thing the prisoner thought of every minute. It drove back the madness that threatened to overtake the soul and mind.

The prison door opened allowing bright lights to enter the dark and dirty room. The lights were too bright; they were blinding. Even with being temporarily blind, the sounds of footsteps were easy to hear. The room was always silent, never allowing a sound in or out to be heard. The footsteps stop in front; no noise was heard. No scream was heard as the door shut from the outside. The captive did scream though when he felt the tiny pinprick of the needle entering his skin followed by waves of a fire-like sensation fill his veins. It wouldn't be long before the things most precious would become those most threatened

The man watched as the prisoner fought the medicine. It wouldn't be long before everything would be right again and the plan would continue on. It would take the rest of the day for the medicine to work and by morning the prisoner would be free. The man left the room as the screams left the raw throat of the captive, to never he heard. As the man walked down the hall he would continue to complete his mission. He only served one master.

*~*~*~*Sakura's Apartment*~*~*~*

Sakura appeared in her apartment sighing and started to walk towards the bedroom. As she shed her tight black pants and her silver tank top, Sakura remembered standing near Itachi and getting her revenge. The smile gracing her face just wouldn't leave as she folded and placed her clothes on the bed. She took of her shoes and placed them at the foot of the bed. Just in her undergarments she walked into the bathroom and started the shower.

Sakura looked in the mirror one last time seeing the still red handprint. No need keeping the sore jaw now so she decided to heal it. Once healed, she removed her undergarments and placed them in the hamper, before stepping into the hot, spraying water.

Closing the shower curtain, Sakura took to enjoying her shower and canceled the genjutsu, revealing her true age. Sakura never really looked at her body much, but in the last couple days she had found something she didn't know before about it. It didn't hold the scars for her torture session with Kabuto. Her skin wasn't heavily scared like it had been when she was 16_. 'Maybe this is one of the gifts that they were taking about. It's nice not having those scars as a reminder of his victory over me,'_ thought Sakura bitterly as she took pleasure in the water relaxing her sore muscles.

She washed her hair and scrubbed her body, removing the day's trouble and sweat. After she was done, she turned the water to fill up the tub, so she could soak in a bubble bath. It was one of the few things that she took pleasure in and enjoyed the tranquil feeling. She poured the desired amount of soap in and submerged her self in the warm water. When it was as full as she wanted, she turned it off and laid her head back and relaxed.

If she would have had her senses alert, she might have known about the uninvited guest that was currently in her apartment. The stranger walked about the furnished apartment. It had been a while since he had last stayed in a nice room. This apartment gave off the feel of comfort and acceptance; it was a room to invite her guests into and make them feel welcomed. He walked from the living room into what he guessed was her bedroom since that was where her chakra signature resided strongest from.

Once he was in the room he took in the colors her room was deck out in. Red, white, black, silvers were the colors that surrounded him. The walls were white, with silver trim. The floor was a silver carpet, which had a black fur rug in the center of the room. The furniture was black, with silver handles. The bed was what captured his attention, it was a king size bed, decked out in different shades of red silk. The pillows were black, silver or white. Surrounding the bed were cloth drapes, tied at the corner posts. The cloth was see-through red, which allowed the occupant in the bed to see out, but not allow light in. It looked inviting.

At the foot of the bed were the clothes she had been wearing that day and he ran his fingertips over the clothes and the silk sheets. _'So she likes the feel of silk upon her skin as much as I do.'_ The stranger turned away from the bed and looked at the pictures on her nightstand. There were three frames; one held a picture of the current Team 7, except the girl looked more innocent. The second picture was of the girl and the current Hokage together smiling at the camera holding a birthday cake. Apparently it was the girl's birthday since the cake said her name on it. The third and final picture was what caught his attention since it was a picture of the entire rookie nine, plus Team Gai and himself. He didn't know how she had a picture of him, but to be with the village he had left, it opened more questions.

Itachi turned away from the frames and walked over to the vanity where her jewelry and perfume was placed. The perfume fit her, and lived up to her namesake, cherry blossoms. He picked up the necklace that he had seen her wearing the day that they had fought in the wood. It was the First Hokage's necklace that the current Hokage was still wearing, when he left the office after watching her. He placed the necklace down and picked up a black silk choker. It really was beautifully made and the stone hanging from the center made it even more so. Itachi touched the stone and felt a jolt go through his fingers. He looked down and saw within the stone was the Uchiha fan, but he only saw it when he was touching the stone and had the sharingan on. Now, this puzzled the Uchiha more since it was a family secret to give their intended a piece of jewelry and hidden within it would be the symbol of the clan. _'Could Sasuke have given it to her...? But he is too young to know about it or how to accomplish it.'_ Itachi placed the choker down and walked towards the closet.

Just as he was about to enter the closet, he felt that a genjutsu was present, so he canceled it and proceeded to look around. In the walk-in closet he found an enormous fan and a scroll about the size of what the Sannin carried on his back. He knew that trying to open the scroll would be useless, so he ignored the fan and scroll and walked over to the shelves containing vials of different substances. After a better look he saw poisons, the antidote, medical solutions for a different array of injuries. She had everything that she could ever need on the shelf. He started to turn around when a title caught his eye. Picking up the bottle, he saw that it was a headache reliever and decided he would use it and pocketed it. Not finding anything else he left the closet and took a seat in a chair next to the bed, encased in shadow and waited.

Besides, from this angle he could see into the bathroom and was able to watch her. She really was an interesting female and seemed to hold just as many secrets as he did. He was looking forward to getting some answers from her, and maybe then he would be able to get her out of his mind. He did not like her occupying so much of his thoughts.

After about thirty minutes of enjoying the soothing water, Sakura slowly stood up and drained the tub and stepped out. She wrapped a towel around her body and ran another towel over her hair, capturing the extra water droplets. Hanging up the hair towel, she left the bathroom and headed to her vanity to brush her hair. She was only half way there when she felt his presence and saw his eyes reflecting in the mirror. She stopped and slowly turned looking at the oldest Uchiha and shook her head_. 'Couldn't you have showed up later…oh well. It would figure that he would be able to break the traps and genjutsu protecting my apartment, since he was the one to teach them to me. It would only be fair that the teacher could beat the student,'_ thought Sakura as she shrugged it off. She didn't like him there, but there was nothing she could do now. She turned back around and finished walking towards the vanity and sat down.

Sakura looked at the mirrors surface and locked eyes with Uchiha. "I give credit where credit is do, Itachi, but I guess it would be child's play for you since you are the original creator. So I take it you read the letter and wish to know what I know. I would love to tell you, but I am still learning to trust you," said Sakura honestly as she set the brush down after brushing her hair. She pulled on the first handle to reveal her night attire, and after fishing through, she finally found something that was a little more appropriate for her guest. Standing up she walked to the bathroom. Right before she shut the door, she faced Itachi and glared, "Next time you plan to make a visit in the late evening, please inform the host so they will be better prepared," and she slammed the door.

Itachi didn't care that he had caught her at a bad time and he would do it other times, if he pleased, until his questions were answered. It really was a shame that that towel wasn't bigger, and then it would have covered more of her breast and reached lower than the upper thigh. He had to give her some credit. Normally if someone caught him in their house they would scream, but she didn't even stop in what she was going to do. There was one thing he had learned from the encounters with her: she was not afraid of him nor did she let him intimidate her. She was very different then the other kunoichi's he knew.

When the door finally opened, the host stepped out and he felt his breath leave him and his body got rigid. _'I think I preferred the towel. At least it covered more and didn't give room for the imagination._ _This on the other hand gave little for the imagination.'_ Sakura was wearing a red, shirt that hung of her frame. One shoulder was bare while the other was only partly covered. The rest of the shirt did not cling to her figure, but the length ended just past her thighs. The worst parts about the shirt were the holes revealing patches of her body. The holes were not overly large, just enough to tease a person. His hands gripped the arms of the chair tightly. If Itachi was anyone else, he would have jumped her, consequences be damned, but he wasn't anyone else and he did not jump females. He had standards and he never forced his women into bed with him, they always came willingly. Not that many had ever made it that far since he never trusted them enough to let them that close. Only one had made it that far and he bared the scar.

Sakura walked out of the bathroom in her nightshirt and walked over to her bed, in doing so walking past Itachi. She grabbed her red robe and put it on, covering her body. To bad it wasn't any longer than the towel in terms of covering her thigh, since it just barely passed the thighs. It was the best she could do under short notice, since she usually slept in next to nothing and sometimes it was nothing. Turning her attention to her guest she sat on the furthest part of her bed and awaited his questions. "So, you want answer to the questions that the Hokage raised in his letter and others. I will make you a deal Itachi. I will answer the questions that the letter prompted and will answer your others at a later date, maybe when you feel you can trust me more, and I you," asked Sakura critically as she waited for him to continue. If he did not agree, then they would be in for a LONG night.

Itachi thought over the possibilities and knew that she did have a point. If she did answer the questions in the letter, then he could learn if she was telling the truth or lying. If she was tell the truth, then he would seek her out again. "I agree to your terms, but under one condition. I can seek you out at any time I feel I need answers," offered Itachi. He would allow her a little trust since the Hokage trusted her so much, but if she proved to be an enemy then she would be dead.

Sakura nodded her head in agreement and continued. "As long as you are not seen, then I have no problem, just give a far warning."

Itachi agreed. He didn't want to be in this situation more than he had to. It was not that she wasn't nice on the eyes; she was just a little too easy on them. Or what he could see of her.

Sakura relaxed a little as she rested her back against one of the beds post. She looked him in the eye so he would see her emotions. The eyes were his way of knowing. "Now where to start...? I guess at the start would be just as good as any. Well, I informed the Hokage that the village was going to be attacked by the combined forces of Sound and Sand. I told him in the end that the village would survive, but he would not. He wasn't really willing to believe me since I did come out of nowhere, but when I told him that I knew the real reason the Uchiha Clan was slaughtered by you, he believed me. It really was interesting to learn that it all surrounds Sasuke and your drive to protect him," sighed Sakura sadly as she awaited his reaction. _'It's sad that life had to be lost because of power_.' If a person didn't know what to look for, then they would have missed the subtle shift in his posture and twitching of his fingers.

Itachi didn't know how she knew that information, but it would explain what she meant about pushing Sasuke to the one thing he wanted to protect him from. She knew his drive to protect his brother and was informing him that he had pushed him too far. He nodded his head for her to continue, and he hoped that he would learn why she appeared out of nowhere. _'If she knows this then she must know that I'm a spy.'_

"Well, as you have figured out from the last time we battled, that I have the sharingan. Well, I was telling you the truth; I did get them from the person most precious to you, your brother. I know that you just saw him leave tonight, but I really do have it. Sasuke will die of fatal injuries sustained in his final battle against Pein, the supposed leader of the Akatsuki. That is to happen in the next six to seven years and from there, things only get worse for us and our battle to take down the Akatsuki," sobbed Sakura as she allowed her emotions to show. She would stop it before it got that bad; she had to.

Itachi was shocked. His brother would die in the next six to seven years in a battle against the man that declared himself a god. "Answer me this, is Tobi still alive at this time or has he died?" Demanded Itachi harshly as his grip of the arms of the chair started to shatter the wood. This would decide if everything he had done and been through was worth it.

Sakura knew he was getting angry and she didn't blame him, she just wished she had better news to tell him. "Yes Madara or as you called him Tobi was alive but, he was killed at your hands a few months after your brother's death. You took him out as well as the status containing the souls of the tailed beasts. You also took out over half of the army they had assembled before your body finally wore out. We found you an hour later holding onto your last bit of life because you wanted to see your friends one last time. You die and were buried in full honors at your family estate, right next to your brother as you wished," cried Sakura as she remembered him dying in her arms and surrounded by his comrades and friends; the only friends he had. After Itachi's death the Uchiha estate was burned so their enemy could not use the bodies of the last two Uchiha's against them in battle. The tears fell down her check and she wiped them away, only for more to take their place.

His hands released the death grip on the arms of the chair. A small smile graced his lips. So he was the one to take down the leader of the Akatsuki. It would be a battle that he would look forward to in the future. _'Wait, the future is what she keeps describing. Could she be…..That might explain how she knows my techniques and everything about my clan. Those pictures earlier would explain some of the things. She had come back to fix something that went wrong in her world, so if the third frame was right he lives and comes back to the village,'_ thought Itachi in slight shock as he stood up and started to walk around the room to figure some things out. If what she says is true them he must have trusted her in the future for her to know so much about him. He stopped and turned to face her he and walked over to her and grabbed her chin cruelly. He looked into her watery eyes. "Show me your sharingan," demanded Itachi.

Sakura didn't like him holding her chin so hard, but she followed his demand and allowed her emerald eyes to shift to blood red. To prove a point she also allowed the Mangekyou to form in her eyes before she turned them back to the regular sharingan. Sakura saw a flicker of recognition in Itachi's own red eyes. Itachi let go of her chin and started to leave, when Sakura's trembling voice stopped him. "I know that this is a lot to take in, Itachi. But, please know that I treasure your brother's gift always. I will be leaving the village tomorrow when some of the Rookie nine leave to try and retrieve your brother. If you want more answers, I will meet you at the old caves where you were hiding for a week from enemy ninja, when you first became a chuunin. I will see you there around noon; if you are not there, then I understand. I hope you do believe me because you are my only hope in taking down the Akatsuki faster." Sakura needed his help if this plan was going to work.

With his back turned towards her, he answered her, "I will be there. If you come with anyone but yourself, then I know you are not who you say you are. Goodnight tigress." Itachi disappeared in a flock of crows again and reappeared outside the village walls. He had much to think on before he met up with her again. He was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice that his jaw was no longer hurting him. He wondered into the trees shadows and headed to the location she had selected. _'To know about that mission where no one knew proves that maybe she is trustworthy.'_

*~*~*~* Back with Sakura*~*~*~*

Sakura watched as he disappeared and sighed wiping the drying tears. The meeting went better then she figure it would, but she was not going to complain. She did make it out without torn or bloody limbs. _'I wonder when he'll notice that I healed his jaw. Probably when his mind doesn't feel so overwhelmed with information. He will go over all that information until he understand it completely.' _Itachi always did things by his pace to his standards.

Sakura stood from the bed and took of her rob and laid it on the bedpost. She had an early meeting with the Hokage that couldn't be missed. She debated about removing her shirt when she decided it would be better for it to stay for now. Pulling the sheets back, she slipped in between the cool sheets and pulled the string closing the drapes. Once she was in her sanctuary, she allowed her mind to relax and she fell into a light sleep.

She did have to be up in the next four hours, so she would take what she could get. Tomorrow promised to be a long day since she had to meet with the Hokage, Itachi and she needed to get reacquainted with an old friend of hers. One thing was for sure, she never had a boring day since she arrived.

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Authors Note:**

Part two is complete and I hope everyone is happy with the result. This chapter was fun to write and I changed it around a little for some of the things to happen the way I wanted. Only one more chapter until this section of the story is done and we move onto the time skip.

Who saw that Sakura was going to let Sasuke still go to Sound and become his cocky and arrogant self? I wanted to have him still go because I wanted this story to be different then the others people and myself have read. Besides, if he didn't go then how would be become as strong as he becomes later. Don't worry; Sasuke does (maybe) keep his promise with Sakura next time they meet. If people are wondering after the scene with Sakura and Sasuke if they are getting together…the answer is no.

People, you got your dose of Itachi medicine again, and he makes an appearance again :D. Now, I want to see if anyone can guess what is so important about the chocker, since it was mentioned in this chapter. It comes into play later in more then one way. Happy guessing!!!

Can anyone tell me who they think the prisoner is? :D Yes this person plays a role in the story later and it will continue to build until the reveal.

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**Summary-**Sakura would do anything to get Sasuke back, even face his older brother, but she never expected to see the man beneath that cold exterior. What she uncovers will change everything she thought she knew about him, Konoha and even herself. LEMON


	12. Plans Shift into Motion

_**Chapter 11- Plans Shift into Motion**_

The morning after Sasuke had left the village, the ninjas could hear the panic, but many could do nothing about it. Most of the seasoned ninja's were out of missions and would not return until it was to late. So under the leadership of a new chuunin, a squad would follow in hopes of returning him to the village.

After the team was assembled and set out to return Sasuke, Sakura saw each one off and wished all of them good luck. When she was offered a chance to go she declined since she already had her chance and failed. After they were far enough into the distance, Sakura turned to head back to her apartment. She had only taken three steps from the gate when an Anbu messenger appeared. He informed her that the Hokage required her attendance immediately and disappeared.

"Well, I was wanting to get some things done before I left, but I guess that's not going to happen," mumbled Sakura under her breath as she ran to the tower. If it was about the letter, it was about time, if not then damn it. After reaching to tower, she took to the window like she did with the Third. Next to the window was the Fifth Hokage, and within her clenched hand was the letter_. 'Well, at least I know what we will be talking about for the next couple of hours. Oh joy,'_ thought Sakura dryly as she unmasked her chakra and let the Hokage know she had arrived. It wasn't that she didn't want to become friends with her teacher again, it was just the conversation they would be having. Tsunade was like a mother to her in the other world and always valued what she taught her.

Tsunade has been a wreak all morning. She had worked late into the morning hours trying to reduce the never-ending piles of paper work. After staring at the same time for hours, she decided to change her pace and relax for a moment. She leaned back into the chair when her eyes seemed to wonder to the top drawer and remembered that she still had to open the letter the Third had written.

Decided to read something other then bills, demands or other boring paperwork, she opened the top drawer and removed the sealed letter. Running her nail under the seal, and opened the flap and started to read. What she read turned her mind completely off and all she could do was stare at the letter. Tsunade hoped that she might have been reading it wrong, but as each word she passed, everything showed he was not. It was a letter addressed to her, by name.

_**Tsunade Senju, **_

_**If you are reading this letter then the events that Sakura foretold to me have come to pass. I wish I had been able to see you again child, since we parted on bad terms. Sakura told me that you would take my place as the Hokage and I cannot think of someone better suited. But, now onto more pressing matters that I must tell you. **_

_**Sakura Haruno, the girl that gave you this letter is very special. You may not believe me when I say this, but she is from the future, almost nine years if she was twelve, but she really is sixteen. She arrived during the Chuunin Exams and took the place of Team 7's killed teammate, Jada Tomoe. She needed her team to make it through the exams for certain events to play out, as they should. **_

_**The events that I speak of were the attack on the Leaf Village and my death. Now I may have died, but in doing so, I achieved something. I protected those that were precious to me and I know that they will be safe and protected in your hands. I would do anything to protect my family, and I hope you will to. But, I will get to the point. **_

_**Sakura Haruno is here to fix history, so that our world will not be doomed to fall into despair like hers did. She is the only living ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, and she wishes to protect and save us all. In time she might tell you more on the events that will take place and please, whatever you do my child, listen to her. She knows that certain things must happen to insure that the Leaf prevails in the end. There are some that will be troubling to let happen, but the result will be for the greater good. **_

_**Trust her as I did. She is a strong fighter, as she should be since you were her teacher in the future. When you do finally read this letter, seek Sakura out and she will answer the questions you want answered. Take care my student. **_

_**The Honorable Third Hokage of Konoha and your Teacher, Sarutobi **_

This is what led up to her current unrest. When Sakura had arrived in the office telling of Sasuke's departure late last night, she knew that this event needed to happen. Doing what she knew she would have to do, she sent out a group of Sasuke's fellow ninja's to bring him back. After the group was assembled and left, she sent a messenger to tell Sakura she needed to talk with her. Standing by the window she was not surprised when she felt the chakra standing beside her within the building shadow.

"Is this an event that has to happen to keep history on its path," muttered Tsunade as she took her golden eyes from the village gates toward the girl standing next to her. If what her teacher had written was true, then she had to be using the same jutsu as her to hide her real age from everyone.

"Yes, it is. If you have any other questions that need answered I suggest we conduced it inside the office and not on the office ledge, where ears may hear. If you want you can call Shizune in to listen to this tale. I only wish to repeat myself once," spoke Sakura softly as she took her place by the desk and waited for the Hokage's assistant. Once she arrived Sakura preformed the needed hand signs for the privacy jutsu. When everything was taken care off, Sakura took a seat in front of the Hokage's desk, the same one she had when she visited the Third. She calmly faced the pair, already wanting this meeting over. When the two were ready she spoke in a stern and serious voice. "I hope you know that the information I have to tell you stays with you two and goes no further. Am I understood?"

Tsunade linked her fingers and placed her chin on them in thought._ 'If I did decide to keep the information from reaching other peoples ears it would give me some leverage. But, if I didn't then my teachers death would have been for nothing, and if he trusted her, then so will I. For now.'_ She reluctantly nodded her head and Shizune followed.

"Well then, I guess I had better let you two see the real me and not the one you see before you," shrugged Sakura as she allowed the genjutsu to fall and revealed her true self. She had decided to dress for comfort. She wore a black dress, which reached past her knees, with red trim. The dress had no sleeves, but it did have a deep v in the front, but not enough to look like a slut. She wore the sand headband as a belt; the leaf was used to hold her hair back. She wore her normal jewelry, but she wanted to wear the chocker since it went so well with the dress. She wore her standard shoes, and the bandages were in their usually place on her arms.

Tsunade stood up from the desk and walked over towards Sakura. She really was sixteen years old and from the looks of it, she did not use the technique she used to hide her age. After a while she asked what was starting to bother her. "If what my teacher said was true, then why are you the age you are? Is this how old you were when you left your time," asked a puzzled Tsunade. _'Maybe finding out about the future will help things fit into place. Since right now everything feels like a scattered mess with no pieces coming together soon.'_

"Well, if you really want to know my age, I'm really twenty-one and the last Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. I was sent back after everyone in the village was killed. The spirits of the past Hokages, and that includes you and Naruto are the reason I am here," fidgeted Sakura as she felt the memories wanting to over take her. She had lost so much in that battle, her lover, family and her unborn child. She felt the tears begging to fall, but she denied them, yet some managed to fall down her cheeks. "Since I was the only one alive they sent me to a world not my own, to the time that everything started to shift. That is why I appeared during the second part of the Chuunin Exams, since it was when Sasuke Uchiha received the curse mark from Orochimaru. After that, I made sure we made it passed the second exam into the third. It was after the fighting to weed out the weak, that I was finally able to talk to the Third about who I am," said Sakura softly, but loud enough the two heard her.

"You mean to tell me that you were sent here by the souls of the dead Hokage's. That still doesn't answer how you look sixteen and not your real age. Are you using the same technique I use?" Demanded Tsunade as she watched Sakura's movements for any signs that she might be deceitful. She found none.

"I do not use your technique, but one of my own creation. I use a genjutsu to hide my real appearances. When the Hokages sent me back, they said that they would give me a gift, so I just imagined that this was one of them. I'm not really going to complain since my older body had some scars that I wish were not there. I was tortured and raped by Kabuto and he made it where the wounds would never be healed and visible as a sign of his victory. This happened after my seventeenth birthday and your death. You died on my birthday when the village was attacked. You lived up to your famous words, "I placed my life on the line like all the other Hokages before me. I will not allow you to win as long as I draw breath from this body or strength to fight. I will kill you." Those were your words and you followed them to the end," cried Sakura tearfully as the tears fell. The memories were almost too much, but she wiped her eyes and got her self under control. She knew that she was just human, but she couldn't afford to be weak right now when she needed to be strong. This wasn't about her, it was about everyone else and the life they never got to live.

Tsunade watched as Sakura cried and she felt tears of her own start to fall. She was not the only once since she could hear Shizune next to her, trying to stop her tears. "The Third said that you were my student, he is correct?" In a kind voice, Tsunade wanted to get away from those memories for the girls still seemed raw.

Sakura smiled slightly at her teacher in thanks. "I became your student after the retrieval mission to bring Sasuke home failed. I didn't want to be the only one left behind and I wanted to help Naruto bring Sasuke home. It wouldn't be until much later that Sasuke would come back, and on his own free will. But, to understand everything, I will tell you from the beginning of the events in my world," lectured Sakura as she began her story from the beginning. It would be a couple years after the nine-tails attacked the village. Now it was when ….," Sakura continued from there and told them everything. She told them her life in the village to what had happened just recently. She just left out the information about Itachi for now, since she didn't want to completely overload her teacher and friend. She did answer their questions, showed them the bloodlines, and when Tsunade asked about Itachi, she told her that was a conversation for another time.

"So you mean to tell me that the squad I just sent after Mr. Personality is going to almost die. Why didn't you say anything before," demanded a pissed off Tsunade. She didn't want the squad's blood on her hands. She had too much on them already.

"Listen Tsunade, I know what I am doing. They all survive the journey and because of this mission, they all become stronger and better people. This mission pushes them all to their limits and proves to them that they can fight against Sounds best. They become stronger people and do not think I would put them in danger without knowing the risks. Those people are my friends, my family but most of all the most important people to me," spoke Sakura sternly. She didn't like getting lectured. She was getting tired of the same old blame game, and she was the escape goat. She changed her appearance back to twelve, stood up and canceled the jutsu and opened the door to leave. This meeting was finished.

"If I were you Lady Tsunade, I would get a medical team ready for Neji Hyuuga and Chouji Akimichi. They will be the two worst, followed by Kiba Inuzuka, then Naruto Uzumaki and last Shikamaru Nara and Rock Lee. I would also ask that the Sand siblings be sent as back up because our ninja will need them to live. If I am done here, I have other matters to attend to and I will be back later when you bring Naruto back. If you still are not satisfied then I will show you everything," all but yelled Sakura sternly as she shut the door behind her and disappeared.

After Sakura had left Tsunade and Shizune were lost in thought. It was Shizune that came to first. "Lady Tsunade, I know that you do not really trust her, but what she has said holds great merit. If some of the events do not take place, then everything she knows will not be of any importance. I say we trust her and see what will come," squirmed Shizune. She didn't like the idea of doing nothing, but if in the long run everything worked out and saved lives she would have to be okay with it.

Tsunade agreed with Shizune and she would wait and see if everything was going as she said. If things started to shift in the wrong direction, she would step in and do what she wanted. Right now she had some medical teams to assembly and a letter to send for reinforcements. She would ensure that her ninjas came home safe.

*~*~*~* Back with Sakura*~*~*~*

Sakura ran back to her apartment so that she clone would be found in one place. After she gave the clone the instructions it needed, she disappeared in a swirl of petals to the shadows outside the gate. If she hurried she would make it just in time to meet up with Itachi. If not then she was in a shit load of trouble. On the way to the cave to make sure she was not being followed, she sent a chakra pulse, which returned back negative.

Seeing the mountainside in the distance had Sakura increasing her speed. Using chakra, she ran up the mountain to the desired cave, and saw that she was not the first person there. Itachi was in the back and looked to be peacefully resting, but looks always were deceiving with him. "I hope that you were not waiting long. I had a meeting with the Hokage this morning, and the meeting took longer then I thought it would. I'm beginning to really hate that office. I keep spending about four hours in it repeating the same thing," grumbled Sakura towards the end. When Itachi didn't respond she took a closer look and had an idea what might be wrong.

Walking over to him she made plenty of noise to let him know where she was. She kneeled next to him and saw that his eyelids kept moving. He was having another one of his sever headaches that left his head feeling sore to all sounds or movement. She had helped him with this in the future when he trusted her enough to let him near him. "Itachi I can help get rid of some of the pain, if you allow me to help. I need you to trust me for a moment and I promise I will not harm you in any way," whisper Sakura softly. When Itachi made no move to stop her, she slowly lifted her hand to his temple. Her hand only skimmed his moist skin, when he opened his red eyes. Sakura nodded to him and acknowledged him threat. If she did anything he felt threatened about, he would kill her.

Sakura allowed some of her medical chakra to her finger tips and allowed it to slow seep into his temple to get rid of the build up chakra and heal the nerve endings. _'At least this time the damage isn't so bad that it won't take months to heal, now that was bad. Let's see, there's the usually and …wait a minute. That's one of my herbs. He must have looked in my closet. Wonder what else he had to look through,' _thought Sakura sarcastically as she dissolved her herbs and took to healing what damage she could in the time she was allowed. She took away some of the pressure to his brain that was a factor in his headaches then went after reducing the stress that his body had accumulated. That stress, caused the swelling on the brain and allowed the chakra to go haywire and accumulate where it shouldn't. _'There, that should do for now,'_ thought Sakura as she stopped the chakra flow to her fingertips. "That should help you since it did the last time."

Itachi could feel the difference right away in the pressure. His headache almost nonexistence, his head didn't hurt and his sight was better. That was not the only thing that he noticed she had done, she had gone in and healed the damage done to his lungs, heart and liver. _'So, she did know that I was slowly dieing. That just proves that she did know about my medical condition before hand. I wonder what else my other self told you,'_ thought Itachi as he stood up from the ground without any problems. It was the first time in years that he did not hurt to move. He turned his attention to Sakura and walked past her out of the cave. He needed to put a little distance between them. There was something about her that was getting to him in more than one place and she was bringing emotions best left hidden and suppressed.

'_I wonder why he got up a little faster. What did I do,'_ thought a baffled Sakura as she walked Itachi leave the cave. Sakura followed Itachi out of the cave to the ledge, where he over looked the mountain and trees in the distance. "Sorry, if I went to far in my healing, but I knew that if I waited like last time the damage would be to sever. I know you might have heard this before from other medic's you have seen. After the healing I gave you and to get the full effect do not use the Sharingan for at least twenty-four hours. After that you will not need to seek another medic out for at least four or five month depending on the usage of your eyes," Sakura said in a stern voice. She knew that she couldn't make him not use his eyes, but she wanted him to know what would happen if he did.

Itachi slightly nodded his head to show that he acknowledged her. "Answer me this, when does the Akatsuki become more active in their pursuit for the tailed beasts?" He needed to know the time frame that he had to work with to help her, if he chose to. He still needed to make up his mind since all he wanted to do was take down Madara and protect his little brother. Those were his goals and once he achieved them he would finally allow himself some peace of mind.

"They will start to collect them in about two and a half years and the first one that they would go after is the Kazekage Gaara. The team assembled would be a real good friend of yours Deidara of Rock and Sasori of Sand, but I guess you already knew that didn't you," said Sakura truthfully. The information she was giving him now was not something new, just that Gaara of the Desert would be the current Kazekage when the two attacked.

"I see. I take it that those two succeed in their capture of the Shukaku," questioned Itachi. He figured they did since they usually were a successful team. He just didn't care for them himself since each one of them drove him crazy always talking about their forms of art. Deidara was allows looking for a way to kill him since he blamed him for being in the organization.

"They did, but they did lose Sasori and Deidara was heavily injured. The organization also lost two of its lower agents to act as body doubles for you and Kisame to stall my group. We would return to the village for a short while and then head out to meet Sasori's spy. It turned out to be Kabuto. We met you brother again and he left us and stayed with his teacher. After those battles, we returned to the village and it was about a month later that we would learn about two other members attacking, Hidan and Kakuza. We would lose one of our own in that battle, but in the end they were both disposed of," spoke Sakura as she remembered the battle. If she could stop it, she would try and save Asuma, but only time would tell.

"It is hard to kill immortals, so I highly doubt that they are dead," Itachi said seriously. Those two were not easy or could be killed. He knew because he had fought them in battles and they never died. Not that he didn't learn their weaknesses, since everybody had one.

"Well, maybe Hidan is temporally or more like permanently disposed of, and Kakuza is killed by Naruto using his new elemental jutsu. It would be months that we would be traveling looking for Sasuke. During that time Sasuke would kill Orochimaru, assemble a new team, known as Snake. This group had but one goal and that was to hunt you down for Sasuke so he could kill you. It would be about a month before we stopped looking for him that we would finally get a lock on him and track him down. We later found out that he had gotten into a battle with Deidara and he used his suicide bomb to try and take Sasuke out, which didn't work. It would be about a month until he would finally find you. You two battled and just as he was about to kill you, you showed him the truth behind you killing the family and what they were really like. In the end, he spared you on a whim so he could learn more. This time the truth," Sakura's voice laced with sorrow. It was sad because when they had arrived at the scene, they had found Itachi's bloody body and Sasuke was nowhere to be found. The group had gone back home in defeat, but never gave up hope that everyone would be reunited.

"On a whim?" Itachi said dryly. He found that hard to believe, but his brother always was a different Uchiha then the others. If his brother did spare him on a whim then he guessed it was a good thing since he was able to later take down the man who had caused everything in the village to fall apart. The man who allows hid behind the scenes.

Sakura knew he was a little skeptical, but it was the truth. "I'm only telling what you and Sasuke told me about your battle. After he spared you, he used a corpse to look like you and left. It would be about three months before you two would return to the village, and that was after you had killed more Akatsuki members. The only members that you two didn't kill were Tobi and Pein. You two happened to arrive when I was on gate duty and I escorted you two to the Hokage. Your case was pleaded before her and she allowed you guys to stay, but with some rules. The people in the village were not happy, but they learned that you two were on a deep undercover Super S-class mission. From there people slow accepted what they were told, but you two never really allowed anyone close to you. It took time but after a while you accepted your brothers team and it branched out from there to the rest of the Konoha eleven. Is there anything else you wish to learn," questioned Sakura as she turned to face the silent man next to her. He never said much, but if he allowed people to get to know him they would learn that he listened to everything and gave wise advice.

"So after we returned to the village, your friends allowed us into your group with no questions asked. I find that hard to believe," said Itachi sarcastically. He didn't know of a ninja out there that wouldn't ask questions, well a smart on anyway.

Sakura giggled and when she received a glare, it just made the giggles worse. "Oh, there were questions, but once you have Naruto's support behind you then everyone started to follow. True me when I say that you did have to earn his trust and you did the best way you could without even knowing it. Not saying that he didn't try kicking your ass a couple times at first, but you and Sasuke did take it in strides. From there you did become okay friends with everyone there, but your were closer to Team 7. Is there anything else you wish to ask me?" Sakura asked politely. If there was no more she wanted to show him something that not many were privileged to see.

Itachi shook his head. There was nothing else he needed at this time. The information she had given him and helped him in trusting her a little bit more. She knew the members of the organization when he had not even informed the Third about some of their abilities. He turned jumped off the ledge and was followed by Sakura. "I need to return to base before anyone notices my extended leave of absence. I will get in touch with you the next time I need to talk. Good day, tigress," smirked Itachi as he started to walk away.

"Now I thought I was hearing things last night, but what's the deal you calling me tigress? You never did before," asked a puzzled Sakura. What did she do to earn a nickname like that? Yes, she had been called a lot of things in her life, but never tigress.

A slight smirk graced the usually emotionless face of Itachi. "The Hokage informed me in his last letter. The one that you handed to me said to be careful around you since you can pack a punch. He said that you can be a hellcat when provoked correctly, and I agree. The only problem is that hellcat is not a name for you as tigress fits better. You plan to take down all those that endanger those under your protection. You are a fighter of the worst kind since you would fight to the end. Am I correct in my assessment?" Said a now very smirking and smug Itachi. He knew that he was correct and her giving him a dark glare, turning her back on him proved it. _'So I can get under your skin now and then. This just might be even more of an interest to me then I thought.'_ He would have chuckled, but he did not, since he was not that familiar with her like his other self. He would still watch his back.

Sakura still having her back to Itachi just pouted._ 'No far that he was able to read me like a book and being call tigress…,well I like that name better then ugly, wench or bitch. At least it makes me feel strong.'_ Sakura was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Itachi leaving again. She turned and ran to walk beside him. "Itachi, what if I gave you a way to communicate with me without fear of being caught or the letters intercepted. I know they have not in the past, but as the battles reach an even bigger level it will be hard to insure they reach the correct hands," offered Sakura as she finally got Itachi attention again. She didn't want him to be found out and then killed. It would kill her.

Itachi stopped walking and turned to look at her. "What do you have in mind?"

Sakura smiled and unwrapped her wrists of the bandages revealing her summon markings. "I will give you a snake that can travel anywhere and never be seen unless it wishes to be seen. It will stay with you or where you want it and deliver the messages that way. She will only come to you and she'll know it's you because of your chakra and smell. Is this agreeable?" Asked Sakura seriously. If he didn't agree then she would have to think of another way, but this was her best choice at the moment.

"That will work. I did not know that you held a contract to the snakes like Orochimaru did," asked a faintly confused Itachi who was still figuring out when her surprises would end. They didn't seem to anytime soon.

"Sasuke gave me the contract as a gift after I meet Manda. It took a lot to get the guy to trust me, but I did finally earn it. If you wait a couple more moments I will summon him and ask that he send one of his daughters with you," offered Sakura as she started the summon hand signs, bit her thumb and smeared the blood on the bottom of her left wrist. Smoke appeared and in front of the two stood a gigantic, dark violet snake. He looked around for his master and not finding him, looked to the ground.

Manda saw two pathetic humans below him where all humans should belong. "Why have you summoned me human? Where is Orochimaru? He is the only one that I allow to summon me and you are not him. For your transgressions against me, I will devour your bodies as a suitable sacrifice for your summons," bellowed Manda loudly as he went to devour and kill the two ninja's.

Sakura knew summoning him would be a pain, but she allows did have her ace. As he went to strike them down, she lowered her head. Sakura yelled loud enough, yet calmly, he would hear her and raised her head with her sharingan spinning. "Tell me Manda……how is your mate, …Nakita?"

*~*With Tsunade*~*

Tsunade had sent the letter out over a couple hours ago and she hoped that her letter was answered. If Sakura was wrong then she had just sent five of her ninja's to their death. She had also send out a medical team to follow the path that the squad had gone to pick up the injured. Walking out of the office Tsunade started her walk to the hospital so she would have everything ready for the healing she would have to perform. Shizune was walking beside her silently and was allowing her to concentrate on her thoughts.

On the path to the hospital she figured she had better send for some other help. "Shizune, please go get Shikaku Nara, Chouza Akimichi and Hana Inuzuka, we might be in need of their assistance. Also bring me Kakashi once he returns, " demanded Tsunade sternly. She was going to cover all her bases since she didn't know their exact wounds. She walked as Shizune nodded and ran to do as she instructed. "I wish you would have given me a little bit more information in their conditions before you left, Sakura," mumbled Tsunade darkly under her breath where no one would hear her. To bad that she had just walked by someone who could hear her.

"You know that it's not good to be walking around talking under your breath. People might think you've gone mad," said Jiraiya playfully as he stepped out of the shadows he had been hiding in. He started to follow his friend as she walked to the hospital. "I take it that you finally read the letter. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to open it, " replied Jiraiya honestly as he looked into the distance and watched as the new generation of ninja's were not yet introduced into the life of war. _'To be young again.'_

Tsunade quickly turned and looked at the man next to her in shock. "So you knew this whole time and never said anything. Why?" Demanded Tsunade angrily. She didn't like being the last to know about anything, if it would protest millions. Her fist clenched and she felt the need to hit something, but held on tight to her bubbling anger at the pink haired kunoichi.

Jiraiya knew his friend was angry, and she had a reason, but she needed to understand that she was privileged. "Calm yourself Tsunade. Not many know the truth behind our pink haired friend. Only Asuma and Kurenai because Asuma saw her fall out of the sky and was getting suspicious of her. Other then them, you and I are the only ones. I assume that Shizune was there when she told you the story. You should feel honored Tsunade since she does not even trust her own teacher and teammates to know her secrets. She trust very few because she knows that if she does trust the wrong person, everything could go wrong," spoke Jiraiya calm, but sternly as he needed her to understand where the girl was coming from.

Tsunade felt the anger leave her body hearing that she was one of the few that knew the real Sakura and not the one that everyone saw everyday. This helped put some things into prospective for her; Sakura was not doing this for her own gain but theirs. She wanted everyone to live and live the life they never got. Tsunade felt her heart swell and her resolves strengthen as she planned for a new and higher goal. _'I will help you Sakura anyway I can since you are doing everything you can for us. I'm sorry I doubted you and will make up for it in my support for you.'_

Jiraiya smiled as he saw Tsunade's stance lighten. She was no longer tense, but more relaxed. _'Good! It seems she has come to a conclusion on Sakura. It will be better this way in the end,'_ thought Jiraiya contently as he continued to walk with Tsunade to the hospital. He would need to be talking with Naruto anyway when he returned from his mission. He would be pounding some training and smarts into the boys' brain one way or another. _'I hope your mission is going well Sakura and I cannot wait to see you again when we return. You will have a long two and a half years ahead of you training your friends.'_

*~*At Valley of the End*~*

Naruto and Sasuke both stood on separate statues. Each statue represented something neither genin knew or understood. Naruto stood upon the First Hokage's head, a leader and a ninja who wanted to protect those closest to him and the village. They were his family.

Sasuke stood on Madara Uchiha, the man who challenged Hashirama Senju for the leadership of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He was a man that was denied his dream so he was left the village to destroy what he was denied. He would do anything to seek his revenge, just as Sasuke would.

The two were so much like the statues they stood on, but would never know the history. The battle raged on and was just as intense as it had been during the first battle fought there. The two upped their powers and knew that this would be their finally blow to end their epic battle. One would win and the other would lose, but neither lack heart in the dream they wanted achieved.

From within the combined powers of the Chidori and Rasengan, two boys looked at each other. Each held a smile as two of their fingers linked in friendship. Their bonds of friendship from then on would be their driving force to become stronger. One would bury that bond his memory and the other would place is near his heart.

Sasuke stood over Naruto's still body after his headband untied from his head, landing next to Naruto's head. The rain fell from the sky, fitting Sasuke's current mood. He had won, but in the end he had hurt the one person who saw him as family and never gave him pity, but understanding. As he turned to begin his walk to his destination he would remember Sakura's words. She was another person who stood by him and even allowed him to go even if it meant deserting the village. She was a mystery and he hoped the next time they met that he would understand her better. He walked into the shadows and into the Land of Sound.

*~*Back With Sakura*~*

Manda's fangs stopped inches from Sakura's face and allowed his eyes to lock with the cunning female that spoke. "How do you know of my mate human?" Spat Manda angrily as he backed his head away from the two humans. No one knew of his mate, not even his pathetic excuse of a master, Orochimaru.

Sakura smiled and exhaled her held breath. She was glad that he had stopped when he did, since she didn't feel up to fighting him. "Lord Manda, ruler of all Snakes and mate to Nakita, I know of her because we have met before. I know that your mate is very sick and is in desperate need of healing," replied Sakura calmly as she held her open hands in front of her. She didn't want him to think she would attack him, and when it came to Nakita, he was even grouchier. She was walking on paper-thin ice and needed to step carefully.

Itachi watched from behind Sakura as she told the snake her answer. If the snake had not stopped when it did he was going to get them both out of the mess she created. He would wait and let the scene unfold.

Manda knew that he had never seen this girl before, nor allowed her to meet Nakita. Nakita was not well to see anyone. "Explain to me human how you know of her illness," demanded a stern Manda.

"Lord Manda, I know we have never meet in this world, but I have met you two in my world. It was you that allowed me the contract for the snakes and it was I who healed your mate of the poison in her body. If you do not believe me then let me show you this since only a person," said Sakura calmly as she turned her back to Manda and lowered the zipper in the back on the dress.

Itachi watched as Sakura bared her back to her enemy. A sign of trust but vulnerability, but from the widening of the snakes eyes and her speech held a more important meaning. He would find out.

As the zipper was finally lower enough, Sakura picked up where she left off, "Graced with your mates grace bares her sign," replied Sakura honestly as her tattooed back was displayed to Manda.

Manda lowered his head closer to the tattoo. It was on her lower back, along her spine. Two snakes, exact copies of himself and his mate wrapped around a cherry blossom tree in a sign of protection. Manda allowed his tongue to touch the skin and could still taste the scent of his mate upon the mark. This was his mates mark, a sign of loyalty only to her and since it also held his picture, it meant his loyalty as well._ 'If what she speaks is true then she did earn our respect rightfully, unlike Orochimaru who has not.'_ Manda raised his head once again and watched as the girl zipped the dress back up and turned to face him once again. "Tell me human, how did we meet the last time in this other world you speak of?"

Sakura smiled up at Manda, whose voice still boomed loudly. He was not trying to eat them so that was a good sign. "In my world your new master is a man by the name of Sasuke Uchiha since he kills Orochimaru. As a gift he was going to give me the contract to the snakes, but we wanted to ask you first. You did not want me as another master and turned to leave. As you left I grabbed your tail, stopping you. I told you that I did not want to become another master or mistress to you, just a friend and ally. You called me a delusional child who needed to grow up. Everyone has demands and I would soon follow like everyone else allows did. You were not an easy person to win over I must say Manda, but your words held truth to them," sighed Sakura as she locked eyes with her former friend.

"So you would follow in all the others footsteps and demand something of me as well. You humans are all alike," said a pissed off Manda. Ever human who had summoned him in the past had always wanted something from him, so he would demands food in return.

"I did, but it was not what you excepted. I demanded you not degrade me and to allow me to at least become a friend of yours. I told you that if you ever needed anything I would help any way that I could in return for that friendship, nothing more. I went to walk away from you when your tail came down and trapped Sasuke and I within the circle of your body. You locked eyes with me and demanded that I look at a fellow member of your family since she was very ill. I agreed, and that was the first time I met your mate Nakita, but at the time I did not know she was your mate. I started to assess the problem and found that she has been severely poisoned, but she could be saved. It took over two months to get her better since she had been sick for so long. Since I know what to do now I can help her faster and the damage will not be as extensive as it was. I will be healing her almost four years faster, so her healing shouldn't take as long," spoke Sakura honestly. She didn't want him to feel she was holding anything back, because she wasn't.

Manda felt relief flood through his system. His mate could be healed and would survive, but only if he allowed this female near her. He could not taste any lies in her tale, so she must have been telling the truth. If she did heal his mate, that might explain why the girl bared his mates sign. "Tell me girl, what is your name, since you know mine already? If you heal my mate again I will pledge my loyalty once again to you," offered Manda truthfully. He would rather a life of severing her then losing his mate.

Sakura shook her head. "Lord Manda, I do not want your loyalty, just your friendship and for you to assist me anytime I call you, which should only be for battles. My name is Sakura Haruno," offered Sakura as she bowed to Manda. She would give him the respect that he deserved since he never received any from his other masters.

"You are a strange human only wanting friendship, but in the end I think that was what drew my mate to you. You are a human unlike any I have met before. I trust that you will heal my mate and if you do not, then I will kill you," voice Manda nasty as he disappeared only to reappear with his slightly smaller mate over his back. He watched as Sakura ran towards his mate and started to heal her. His mate was too sick to strike or defend herself in her current state.

Itachi took a couple steps closer to where Sakura was and marveled at the beauty of Manda's mate. She was almost the opposite of her mate. While he was a dark purple she was pale lavender, almost a white. Her eyes while alert, but exhausted were an interact mix between ruby red and dark amethyst. She was a lot smaller then her mate, but it didn't mean she was any less deadly then her mate probably. He watched for over an hour as Sakura continued to heal the mate. It was a sight to see.

After another hour of healing Sakura finally stopped healing Nakita and slowly walked over to kneel before her face and allowed her to see her. "Lady Nakita, I have removed most of the poison from your body enough where you should be able to heal naturally. I do not have enough chakra to complete what needs to be done and get back home in one piece. I hope you will forgive me, for not introducing myself earlier my lady, it was very rude. My name is Sakura Haruno," spoke Sakura tiredly as she held her left wrist for her to gain her scent.

Nakita had felt the human touch her but did not try to fight her. Manda said she wished to help and after an hour of healing she could start to feel a difference in her body. There was no longer pain running throughout her body like hot fire. The pain was now a dull ache that she could live with until she regained her strength. She respected this girl and knew she would like her. She did not feel threatened, but she did feel acceptance for who they were. _'Not many people accept snakes now days and actually give respect,'_ thought a pleased Nakita, as she tasted the girl's skin. Her tongue touched her skin and she was engulfed in memories not her own.

*~*Memories*~*

"Thank you so much Nakita for the fang. I think you will approve of the sword it was crafted into. It will be my pride and joy," Sakura said joyfully as she hugged her friend and loyal companion.

Nakita looked down at her friend and flicked her tongue out towards Sakura's face, making the girl giggle in glee. Nakita wasn't summoned much and when she was she just wanted to spend her time with Sakura. She made her happy.

The scene changed to show Sakura and another man in an embrace that could only be described as lovers. They were in a tent with only a small campfire lighting the tent, allowing their shadows to play along the tent fabric. The room was filled with the smell of musk and sex and if listened carefully you could hear the moans and cries coming from both parties.

The women who was on top riding her lover, was kissing him, shadowing his face with her pink hair. While the man's face couldn't be seen, his long, chestnut brown hair was a halo around his body. This added to the eternal glow of the couple as the couple reached their peak together and held each other in their arms.

The tent morphed to a girl dodging balls being kicked at her with speed and strength. She tripped over her feet from fatigue and watched as the ball speed closer to her face. She went to stand, but felt her right ankle give under the strain. Not wanting to get hit in the face Sakura channeled what chakra she had into her hand and punched the ground. The earth opened and rose creating a small shield, but it could not stand up to the ball and crumbled. The ball had been slowed down from hitting her face, but it still connected. Sakura fell to the ground and watched as her teacher stood above her body and shook her head. She knew she was not pleased with her; she would just have to push herself harder tomorrow. She would be not be weak again and left in the dust.

That clearing changed to another clearing deep in a forest where Sakura and another man were kneeling on the ground talking. The man was holding his shoulder and Sakura had shorter hair. The boy was telling her not to tell someone by the name of Naruto about the mark and making her promise. Looking closer you could tell that Sakura was reluctant to agree, but did anyway.

The forest faded into another forest along a cemented path. Next to the path was a bench, highlighted by the moons light. Upon that bench was Sakura holding the bloody body of the older man from the previous version. She was sitting on the bench with his head on her lap and an older; almost exact copy of the man on the bench standing next to Sakura. The man in her arms raised his bloody hand first to her eyes then rested his hand on her heart. The man was in great pain and was dieing. The words could just be faintly heard in a rasping and fading voice, "Restore my clan…I did want you to be the one to help achieve…I did love you."

*~*End of the Memories*~*

Sakura was knocked backwards into Itachi's legs. She opened her tired and watering eyes and looked at Nakita. Nakita was fine and was looking at her with care and understanding. Sakura knew that Nakita understood what had happened. Nakita had offered her trust and in return she had allowed her to see some of her memories. Sakura went to stand when her body wouldn't obey her and stayed on the ground, using the Uchiha's legs as a brace. Sakura's body wasn't just tried it was drained. She had pushed herself to far in healing two major damages to the bodies.

Nakita slowly moved her tail to the back on Sakura's bodyguard. When he made no move to move for her, she allowed her tail to move beside Sakura's body. This caused the man to step back once her tail supported Sakura. Gently she coiled her tail around Sakura's body and brought her next to her. She would give her some of her chakra since she had done so much for her already. It was the least she could do for her.

Itachi knew that if he moved from his position that Sakura would have fallen over, then he would have had to help her up. When Nakita took Sakura and placed her next to her he watched at the pair glowed a faint blue. She was transferring chakra into the girl body. He knew he had to be going if he was going to get back to the base without being missed. He was already behind schedule. "Tigress, I have to get going if I am to make it back to the base," said a bored Itachi.

Sakura felt the foreign chakra enter her body and welcomed it. Once she knew that Nakita was done she looked up and thanked Nakita for her help, who nodded her head. Sakura turned her head and faced Manda since she needed his approval for her request. "Lord Manda, I need to ask a favor of you. My friend and I need to communicate with each other secretly, and I was wondering if you would allow us to use one of your carriers? I know that you protect those under you, but I promise that this is a very important mission. We need one who can blend into the surroundings, distinguish real from fake and trustworthy," pleaded Sakura.

Manda looked down at the tried female that his mate was already become close to and knew that he couldn't deny her request. He had no carrier that matched her qualifications, but he did have someone who did. He nodded his head and disappeared only to reappear just as quickly. He lowered his head and from the top of his head came a tiny maroon snake who silently looked at the human female. "Sakura, I give to you Kuruizaki since she meets all of your requirements and is most trustworthy and loyal to who she deems worthy."

Sakura looked at the beautiful snake in front of her. She knew that this was no ordinary carrier snake; this was one of his daughters. Sakura swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat at the offer Manda was offering her. "Lord Manda…I…I don't know what to say. I would have gladly taken one of your regular carrier snakes, but to give me your daughter is a high honor," spoke Sakura who was in a daze. Manda allows left his family home and protected; away from danger and harm.

The two mates looked at each other and smiled. Both were thinking the same thing. _"This human is worthy.'_ Nakita was the first to speak in a clear and understanding voice. "Yes, she is our daughter, but she is also the only one we feel that will serve you well. She offered to help and wishes to know about you since she deems you worthy as we do child. Just tell her what you wish for her to do and she will complete it for you."

"You have proven yourself more then many have in being worth my families assistance," said Manda truthfully. She proved herself.

Sakura slowly raised her hand and allowed the snake to gently coil around her arm. Until it reached her face and gently kissed her skin making her giggle. Emerald met emerald, as well as diamond met diamond on the forehead; they were close to being a perfect match. Kuruizaki was beautiful. She was small since she was still very young. The emerald in her eyes complemented her maroon skin. But, what drew Sakura's attention to her was the diamond on the center of her head; she couldn't have picked a better friend. "Hello Kuruizaki, it's a please to meet you. I thank you for wanting to help us. My name is Sakura Haruno and my friend over there is Itachi Uchiha. You will be delivering letter to and from the both of us. You think you can handle that?" Asked Sakura nicely to her new friend.

Itachi watched as Sakura bonded with the snake and prayed that he wouldn't have to go through the same thing she did. It wasn't that he didn't like snakes; he didn't think he wanted to be holding something so small in his hands. He didn't want to harm something so small an innocent.

Kuruizaki was small, but she didn't like her skills getting mocked. Standing to her full height, which was only to the lock eyes with Sakura's and glared. "I am perfectly capable of handling whatever task you assign me. I may be small but I still can get the job done," lectured Kuruizaki softly as she turned her head away in stubbornness. Her voice was soft to begin with and allows sounded like a melody signing in the wind. She couldn't wait to sound like her mother when she got older. Her mother was a fighter and her voice told all those who heard it.

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "I meant no harm or mock in your abilities. I was just telling you what you would need to do and getting your reassurance. You are so young, I just didn't want you to get hurt is all," smiled Sakura as she petted Kuruizaki on the head. Sakura was rewarded with a lick on the wrist.

"You are kind mistress and I will serve you and the master well. Father has told me what you wish of me and I will not fail you. I am fast and can blend into the ground to travel and deliver the messages. No person will trick me since I have your smell and taste printed into my memory. I just need the masters and I will begin my serves," replied Kuruizaki, who removed herself from the warmth of her mistress to her master. Her master did not reach down to pick her up, so she awaited him to make the first move.

Itachi looked down at the little snake at his feet. He saw that she was waiting for him to make the first move, so he slowly bent down and allowed her to coil around his wrist. He watched as she flicked her tongue on his wrist like she did Sakura's face. She bowed her head awaiting her orders. "Kuruizaki, climb within my cloak and remain hidden until I tell you different. Once we get to base I will explain more so you will be safe. Is that understood?" Ordered Itachi who received a glare in return from the snake as she crawled the rest of the way into the cloak and wrapped around his elbow. Once she was comfortable and stopped moving did Itachi face the three. "I will get in touch with you later." With those words spoken, he left in a flock of crows to return home. He had much to think about and on. He had to plan everything out carefully.

Sakura watched as the two disappeared and smiled since some of the things were coming together. She tried to stand up again and would have fallen if Nakita's tail had not caught her. Sakura smiled in gratitude. She was about to say thinks when she was gentle picked up from the ground by Manda's mouth and lowered onto his back. Sakura stayed still until she was placed securely on his back. "Lord Manda, what is going on here?" Question Sakura as she watched Nakita poof away home and Manda headed towards her home village.

"I am returning you as close as I dare to the village since you are still to exhausted. Hold on and we will be there is a half hour. Rest and recover your strength. No harm will befall you under my care," ordered Manda as he took of at high speeds. Sakura nodded her head and laid her head on the snakes back to rest.

The ride to the village was fast and Sakura was glad to be home so she could finally get some much deserved rest. She knew once the retrieval group was returned she would have to begin her plan. It was just slowing signs of rain approaching so she knew that she would have a couple of hours to rest. She said her thanks to Manda as he disappeared back home. Sakura disappeared from the outer wall to appear where her clone was; in her apartment reading a book.

Sakura dispelled the clone and walked into her room to sleep. She cleaned herself up since she was dirty from her travels and changed into a clean pair of cloths. Taking look at the clock one last time she allowed her head to hit the pillow and fell into dreamland.

BANG!!!! BANG!!!! BANG!!!!

Loud banging on Sakura's door was what woke the tired and sleepy eyes kunoichi up. She slowly made her way towards the loud noise until it started giving her a headache. "Will you knock it off with all the loud banging. I'm up alright so you can stop now!" Screamed Sakura, who was in a very grouchy mood. Sakura jerked the door open and saw a person she didn't expect to see. Shizune looked relieved to have finally got her to answer the door. _'I wonder how long she had been knocking on the door?'_ "What can I do for you Shizune?" Yawned Sakura tiredly as she wiped the sleep from her eyes and stretched to get her body to wake up.

Shizune had been banging on Sakura's door for about an hour when she finally got yelled at. She was tired from the long night of healing Neji Hyuuga and then she was sent to retrieve Sakura for a fussing Naruto. Her day was not going well since she was just functioning on fumes. When Sakura opened the door she saw why it took so long for Sakura to answer the door. She had been in a deep sleep from the looks of it. "Sakura, I'm sorry for waking you up this morning, but Naruto has been throwing a tantrum all morning wanting to speak to you. He won't calm down until he says that he talks to you," groans Shizune as she rubbed her throbbing head from all of Naruto's yelling.

Sakura woke up hearing Shizune's words. _'Morning…Morning…Oh SHIT!!!!! It's morning already and I slept through the rest of yesterday. Oh crap!!'_ Yelled Sakura franticly in her head as she quickly turned around and ran back into her bedroom. She slammed the door shut as she jumped in the shower and ripping her cloths off in a hurry. She showered and jumped back out and changed into her old red top and black medic skirt and shorts. She didn't bother with her hair as she ran out of the room putting her shoes on. She saw that Shizune was sitting in the opened door waiting for her and grabbed her an apple to eat. She locked the door and handed the apple to Shizune to eat since she knew she had to be hungry. She smiled in thanks and they headed towards the hospital.

It only took a half hour to reach the hospital and Sakura smiled hearing her teammate yelling at the Hokage. The conversation was muffled, but she could recognize Naruto's voice anywhere. Smiling, she ran up to the room where all the yelling was coming from and walked in to see Jiraiya setting in the window watching the arguing pair. Tsunade and Naruto were have an interesting yelling match consisting off, what else, ramen. "Hey Naruto, I hear your giving everyone problems because you wanted to see me. I'm here now so what can I do for my favorite knuckle headed, little brother?" Laughed Sakura seeing Naruto's face light up like a Christmas tree.

"Sakura! Where have you been?" yelled Naruto happily, despite his rather mummy wrapped body. He was glad to see his sister again after coming back half alive. During the whole retrieval mission all he could think about was reuniting his dysfunctional family. He had made a promise to Sakura that he would bring Sasuke back, but he had failed. Naruto lowered his head in shame at remembering the promise of a lifetime he made Sakura and spoke in a sad voice. "I failed you Sakura."

Sakura walked over to Naruto and sat on the side of the bed. She grabbed his hands gently since they were heavy wrapped in bandages. Leaning her forehead against his bowed head, she spoke sincerely. "No you didn't Naruto. You fought with all your heart and I know that you will bring him back one day. Once you make a promise you always keep it and I know that this will be no different. Sakura could hear silent sobs coming from the boy and smiled. She removed her hands and gave him a hug and whispered in his ear. "You can never disappoint or make me hate you Naruto. Just train and become that much stronger so next time you see him you can kick his ass." Feeling him hug her back she kissed his whiskered cheek and pulled back to see the tiredness in his eyes. "Sleep Naruto, you have a whole new adventure awaiting you when you wake up," said Sakura as she saw him smile and finally fall asleep.

Jiraiya looked on at the tender scene and how Naruto just relax after Sakura entered the room. No one could get him to sleep until he saw his teammate. She really had a hold on those two boys. Seeing Naruto finally give into sleep he stood up to leave and was followed by the rest of the group. "Naruto did ask a good question Sakura, where were you?"

Sakura blushed as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "I was asleep in my apartment. I was out earlier getting some things taken care to help get things rolling in my court," said Sakura in a now serious and professional voice. She saw the three nod their head in understanding, as they knew what she meant, just not about what. Sakura turned her head towards the Hokage first, "Lady Hokage, am I to assume that everyone made it back alive from the mission?"

"Yes they did. Everyone that was injured is now healing and will be better in a couple of days. The Sand siblings made it in time to aid Kiba, Lee and Shikamaru in their battles. The medical team arrived in time to stabilize the other two teammates in critical condition and they are now sleeping," said Tsunade happily since her ninja's all came home alive. She knew that soon she would have more work in front of her, but she knew that she had someone who was also watching over the village, another Hokage.

Sakura nodded and faced the grinning sannin. She knew where his eyes were looking and wished that the man could keep his head out of the gutter for more that an hour. She just wondered when the Hokage would know that her breasts were being watched rather intently. Seeing a little blood starting to run from the perverts nose had Sakura asking her question before he passed out or was punched out. "Lord Jiraiya, when will you be taking Naruto for his training?"

Jiraiya was brought out of melon land when he heard Sakura's question. Wiping the little blood he could feel, he answered. "As soon as the little brat is out of the hospital and is ready to go. I want to leave as soon as possible so I can have enough time to get something in the thick head of his," said a laughing sannin. He was joined by the other three shortly after.

Tsunade and Sakura stop laughing about the same time and grinned. He was right about Naruto having a thick head. "I just wonder whose head is thicker?" laughed the grinning pair together in union. They looked at each other and it renewed their laugher.

After the laughter had subsided the four headed towards the Hokage's office to talk more on what needed to be completed in the two and a half years. Sakura told them her plans to help get the village ninja stronger from the upcoming battles. Ideas were tossed around until they had a good plan down for the next year. Jiraiya knew that he had to do to get Naruto ready and he would be damned that he would have the boy ready. Sakura said that she would see the two off before their journey and the meeting was adjourned.

It would be two days before Naruto was well enough to leave the hospital and go on his journey. Sakura wasn't the only one who showed up to wish Naruto good luck on his training, the whole rookie nine, team Guy and the Sand siblings. Everyone promised to train harder so that when Naruto came back he wouldn't show everyone up. Kiba did know how to help get everyone's mind on track. After everyone said their good byes, Sakura said hers and gave him a hug and a kiss.

"Now train hard Naruto and make everyone here proud of you," cried Sakura as she watched the two walked into the distance. Naruto grinned back at Sakura and waved before he ran to catch up with his pervert teacher. Sakura stayed to watch, as the two faded into the distance were she would no longer see them without using the blood limit. She knew that the group was thinning out, but didn't pay them any mind. She turned around and went to walk back to her apartment, when she almost collided with someone standing in front of her.

She swallowed and took a couple steps back, away from Gaara of the Desert. Gaara and his siblings were standing together and were watching her. Gaara had a look on his normally emotionless face that she hadn't seen before, recognition. She didn't know from what, but she didn't want to stick around and find out. "Nice seeing you guys again," said Sakura nicely as she stepped around the three and headed home.

Gaara watched as the kunoichi with pink hair turned around and almost ran into him. His demon was ranting and raving about the human having his scent on her. His scent was one thing, but what was getting the demon inside of him ranting was the smell of his blood, his death. It took him a moment to recognize where he had seen her before. She was the one who stepped in front of the attack that he aimed at the Uchiha during the attack on the Leaf Village. Back then she didn't have his smell on her, but why did she now. He watched as the girl in front of them stepped around them and walked off. He slowly turned around and started to follow her. He wanted answers. He would get answers.

Temari and Kankurou watched as their brother started to follow the girl in somewhat of a daze. He was ignoring everything that they were asking him. They gave up and just followed their younger brother. The two siblings had something different going thorough their minds. Kankurou was thinking how nice her legs and her butt looked as she walked. He wondered if she was submissive or a wild cat in bed. Just thinking of all the things those legs could do had his head spinning. He enjoyed the view.

Temari's thoughts were on something completely different. The girl that her brother was following looked familiar and it wasn't from the battle with Gaara. There was something about her that kept screaming in her mind that she knew her. Temari could remember all the people she had ever seen in her travels, but something kept popping up as a red flag. There were only two people that she had ever seen with pink hair, and one of them she had never seen since the battle in the Forest of Death. She remembered the words that girl had spoken and wished to give her thanks since she was right. Her little brother did change for the better after his battle with that Naruto kid.

The three followed Sakura around the village until she came to rest in front of some apartments. She turned and faced the group sighing since she wanted them to leave her alone, but fate was against her. Tapping her foot and hands on her waist she glared at the approaching siblings. "Is there a reason that you three have followed me around for the last twenty minutes?" Asked Sakura angrily. She was surprised at the responses, from the red heads mouth.

"Why is it that Shukaku can smell me on you? He smells my blood, my death, but not his own scent. He is demanding answers and so am I," demanded Gaara to the stunned girl. He heard gasps coming from his older siblings, but he paid them no mind since he was watching her. Gauging her reaction…he was disappointed.

Sakura just looked at Gaara blankly, not showing a sign of what he was looking for. He wanted a reaction from her; he wasn't going to get one from her. Raising an eyebrow, Sakura answered in a calm voice, "I hate to tell you but your demon is wrong in his assumptions. I have nothing of yours that would carry your scent. So if you three will excuse me, I have things to do." Sakura turned around and started to head into the complex when she felt something coming at her.

Sakura dodged to the left, as she saw sand fall by her. She swiftly turned around to see even more sand attacking her. She dodged the attacks when the sand finally settled she landed on the side of one of the many near by buildings. Glaring down at the red head, she let some of her anger show in her eyes. "What the hell was that for?" Yelled Sakura venomously. She really wanted to attack him, but in doing so would cause problems for the village and her later. She started to demand an answer when she stopped cold. She saw something that was in the sands grasp. _'He wasn't attacking me directly. His demon was trying to find where the scent was originating. Great, I wonder how this is going to go over.'_

Gaara's sand brought to him the article of clothing that was driving his demon crazy. It was a headband. Turning it over he saw that is was a Sand headband, but not any sand headband; it was his. Within the Sand insignia was his name, the place were all Sand ninjas put their names for body identification. He past the headband to his siblings and locked eyes with pissed off emerald. "I can tell that you are lying to me and this proves it kunoichi. I want answers and you will begin to give them to me now!" Demanded Gaara as the sand shifted under his feet, showing his displeasure.

Kankurou just stared at the material in his hands not being able to form words. No other village knew were they placed their names on their forehead protectors. It wasn't just the name on the forehead protector that had him speechless; it was the title following his little brother's name. _'Kazekage?!?!?!? What the fuck is going on!' _The head protector was ripped out of his hands by Temari, who gasped only seconds after having it in her own possession.

Temari was wondering what all the fuss was about when she finally took the Sand headband from her stunned brother. Looking at the headband and finding what was causing all the commotion had her gasping, but for a completely different reason. _'Pink hair…emerald eyes…sand headband used as a belt…had siblings.' _Temari looked up and see could see it. The girl before her was the same one she fought in the forest, just younger. Why didn't she see it before? It was staring her right in the face. Raising her shaking hand, she pointed at Sakura and whisper softly, "Its you! The one from the Forest of Death that night."

The two heard their sister and turned to look at her pale, wide-eyed face. She had told them about her meeting with a strange girl in the Forest of Death and her advice. They had been amazed that someone was able to tie with their sister, but it was her advice that had shocked them the most. _'Treasure the time you have with your brother, because life is short.'_ It was like she knew something that on one else knew. Hearing her confession had Gaara's resolves to get some answers even stronger.

Gaara locked eyes with Sakura and he saw what looked to be defeat, but it was gone just as fast. He watched as Sakura jumped back from the building and headed again back towards the complex. When she was within the doorframe she turned to face them and gestured for them to follow her.

Sakura led them to her apartment were she proceeded to tell them what they needed to know, after she gained their oath. It took the rest of the night to answer all of the questions they kept asking. It did take some proof to convince them that she was telling the truth, besides Gaara's nose. She told them everything they needed to know for the up coming years and told them to not let her knowledge change who they were. Everything would be worked out in the end. Before they would leave she had to promise to keep them updated on what was going on. She just didn't mention what would happen in two and a half years. She knew there was going to be hell to pay for it, but it was a price she had to pay to take a step forward. Watching as the siblings finally left to return home, she sighed in exhaustion. She knew that they wanted more answers to what was to come. They finally stopped asking when she told them that there was no since they had to be living the nightmare. She had faced it once and she would do it again.

She knew that Temari would seek her out in the near future. It was who she was and she never liked unanswered questions. That was a meeting she wasn't looking forward to. But what ever was to come she would meet it head on. Sakura turned around and headed to bed. She had a better future to start shaping. The training for the next year was going to be brutal. She had a lot to teach if they were going to live. What she didn't realize was that she would also learn some important information before the final confrontation. Whether it would be good or bad would be determined.

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Authors Note:** So what do you think? Please tell me. This is the end of the first installment of this story. For now it will be labeled at Complete until I get chapter 12 written. The next installment will be called **Time is Ever Changing** or I just might make this story uncomplete when the time comes to post again.

This chapter hasn't been beta yet so please grin and bear it with me. I hope to take care of that later when I repost some of the chapters with little fixes. There is no Chapter of the week for this chapter.

**As of 11/28/09**

**Reviews-** 65

**Alerts- **66

**Favs- **50

**Hits- **8,403

**C2s- **5

**Words- **About 112, 610

**Chapters- **12

If I have lost people in the process of this story I'm sorry, but the ones that have stayed to the very end, I could hug you all.

**Dedication and Thank you!- -Lovely-Ice-**, -SmilingArtist-, **7darkangel7**, AnabellaNoire, **Angel of Joukai**, Angel-Lilly16, **animefreak2610**, Aoihand, **Aprilia-is-me**, Asarin159, **astral-angel**, Audrey Sinclair, **Azera-v**, Azusa-Angel, **blosom95**, bluerosemisstress1069, **brinapingu**, cam, **chibi-dono15**, Clarindas, **cptmds**, D-chan3, **DarkKazeura**, DarkItachi22, **deadpeace6868**, 16, **Dominique Fade**, Earthgirl2009, **Eulogie**, FanficHolic, **fionfee**, FreedomIsPirateKey, **FuryanWarrior**, Grieving Warrior, **Hermionechan90**, Hinata Hyuga –n- Gaara Sabaku, **.**, Innocent Shadow-Chan, **Insanity rose**, Itachis rose, **Itachiswife**, jhuaxchange, **kiasyn**, kitten652, **Lady Love**, Lifeclaw, **light girl**, loves0sharingon0boys, **Luka1Sakura**, MarieSeleneArroyo, **mg29**, Miss Chocolat, **MissCalieRae**, MizMizza, **mysticwater1234**, Namida no Tenshi 93, **NarayaEdea**, Naru-Vampire, **NaruXSaku4eva**, -, **OneLifeOneArt**, Ookami no Uta, **pinkanbudragon**, purvey sage, **Rageful Jewel**, random-stranger, **randomgirl2k8**, Raven1123, **Regin**, renkei-chan, **Sabishii Tenshi**, SakuchanAngel, **Sakudragon**, sakura taikyoko, **sakuraaimier**, SakuraLovesCookies143850, **sakuratherocker**, ..lives, **sendo-tenshi**, ShadowHeart251, **Silja12, Silver-Heart377**, Soraya the All Speaker, **sousie**, stargazing-sweetie, **Starlight- Wild Koneko**, Still Doll Princess, **Stunning sunset**, tallgirl20, **tcl7189**, TeenageCrisis, **TheRoseandtheDagger**, Tombadgerlock, **Uchiha-Aki**, UchihaSakura2007, **White Love**, Winter's darkmoon, **Xxnarutofan22Xx**, xXSilverCherryBlossmXx and **Yess_I3-U**.


	13. Important Author Note 9182010

**Important Update Information**

Dear Readers and Reviewers,

I haven't abandoned or given up this story at all. I'm still writing it as we speak, but it's either in a notebook or on my mother's computer, but don't tell her that. Why, well it's because my computer is in need of some serious help. It's been acting up ever since I tried to update my laptop for Internet Explorer 6 to 7.

It has become corrupted and it no longer runs like it should. I try to save the chances that I make to the story, Time is and it saves. Except that when I go to open it the next day it's not there…any of it, and I normally write at least five pages a day if possible. Did I save it in another folder and can't find it, no because I keep all of my story files in my area.

I'm looking into finally getting it fixed now that I have a more general idea of what the problem it. Except with money been going elsewhere as you all probably know, it might take time.

I'm actually using my mother's computer to post this and if she finds out my ss will be grass. We also need to fix the internet connection here since it keeps knocking me offline every 5 or not even 2 minutes. No, it's not dial up.

Hopefully, once this is fixed I have stuff to post and another story for you all to read, which is a one-shot. I won't be online either after this for about two week since my virus protection ran out, and waiting for the new disk.

I would have posted this earlier as I've told some reviews, but I thought it was a simple fix and was the internet or had a virus. Not corrupted files.

Until the next post,

Mistra Rose


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